When your love is locked up.

February 11, 2005 3:02 PM

When your love is locked up. An everyday story of prison, inhumanity and profiteering in “civilised” CA.
posted by adamvasco (28 comments total)

Inhumanity? This isn't someone being sentanced to twenty years for a couple Oxy pills... this is a murder committed during a robbery. I'll save my sympathy for the non-violent offenders...
posted by glider at 4:12 PM on February 11, 2005

Gilder: felony-murder, not actual killing-someone murder.
posted by rxrfrx at 4:13 PM on February 11, 2005

Unless I'm reading it wrong, it seems she was charged with and convicted of "actual-killing someone murder." Maybe she was guilty of felony murder (if the author is being truthful) but I don't that was what she was convicted of. I mean, if she was charged with felony murder, what would it matter that she wasn't splattered with blood, and didn't have her fingerprints on the weapon?

I feel for the woman, but found the author kind of obnoxious. In one breath he talks about guards raping inmates, and then in the other makes a bad JC Penny joke. Ugh.
posted by Doug at 4:30 PM on February 11, 2005

rxrfrx - Oh, I'm sorry, I was unaware that innocent people don't die in "felony murder". In that case, give her a Purple Heart.
posted by glider at 4:33 PM on February 11, 2005

The woman might be guilty of murder. The effect that her imprisonment has on her boyfriend, and the way in which he tries to cope with it, is nevertheless interesting and a good read. Thanks adamvasco.
posted by felix at 4:38 PM on February 11, 2005

Er...we appear to be talking at cross purposes.

Glider is saying "someone got killed".
rxrfrx is saying "not by her, though".

Relevant bits from the article:

"Someone else had already been convicted of wielding the murder weapon and sentenced to life without parole. Dee...had, however, stolen belongings from another room. The jury was instructed on California law, which states that when a murder takes place during a robbery, everyone taking part is equally guilty of first-degree murder...[T]he judge sa[id] that the jury had ruled that Dee did not wield the weapon to participate in the murder, and so this charge against her was dismissed."

posted by Bugbread at 4:41 PM on February 11, 2005

"The woman I planned to marry was accused of first-degree murder. She'd (uncharacteristically) taken part in a home robbery in which someone had ended up being killed." Stupid.

Someone mention non-violent offenders? Just a few days ago, our CA Governor pardoned two guys who have been in prison since the '70s for selling small amounts of pot. Kudos to the Governator and screw violent offenders.

I like the San Diego Reader too, because it does publish articles like this. It's cool to be able to see both sides of a thing.
posted by snsranch at 4:50 PM on February 11, 2005

Valley State Prison began allowing male guards to do pat-down searches of clothed female inmates that include touching their breasts and crotches, a practice that had been banned at the facility since 1998 after documentation surfaced of complaints about groping and outright sexual abuse by guards during intrusive "cross-gender pat searches" (as they're called in a state prison training video).

Because you know, if you say fuck on the public radio you may get U$ 500K fine , but if you pat down a woman (or man) and you're an officer it's perfectly ok, there could be absolutely nothing invasive about wilfully searching genitals ! But if you hear fuck on the radio Jebus will cry.

Jee what an hellhole of a nice _looking_ country...looking like saudi arabia more and more day by day.
posted by elpapacito at 5:02 PM on February 11, 2005

anyone who robs a house should know the chance they're taking ... maybe they wouldn't kill anyone, but what about the people they hang with?

i'd feel bad about it, but i'd dump her ... as time goes on, i think he's going to find a commitment to someone in her circumstances to be burdensome indeed ... i've found that even under the circumstances of electronic tethering at home ... living with an ex-con and addict can be burdensome if nothing moves forward ... and what can when she's locked up for so long?

on the other hand ... the people of chowchilla town, the guards, the local police, all the businessmen who are raking an extra buck off of a captive market ... my friends, in some ways, you're becoming worse than those you despise and fear ... they at least have some opportunity to reflect and regret ... while you continue on, under the illusion that you are "right"
posted by pyramid termite at 5:14 PM on February 11, 2005

Hm. Despite lots of references to Jay Allen Sanford and his description of the press being all over him and this case, I can't find any other references to the case. I wonder if he's using a pseudonym and the news of the time only referred to his real name.

[T]he judge sa[id] that the jury had ruled that Dee did not wield the weapon to participate in the murder, and so this charge against her was dismissed.

I found the meaning of this in the context of the rest of the article a little muddy -- was she, then, convicted of 2d-degree murder?

Good link, adamvasco. It's revolting to know the prison's official policies are basically an invitation to abuse.

our CA Governor pardoned two guys who have been in prison since the '70s for selling small amounts of pot.

Could you point me to a reference, please, snsranch? I get nothing relevant searching sfgate.com, mercurynews.com, sacbee.com, or news.google.com for "schwarzenegger pardon" or "schwarzenegger marijuana".
posted by Zed_Lopez at 5:22 PM on February 11, 2005

Thanks, adamvasco. While no one here can look askance at her valid crime, the act of incarceration without a hint of "correction," where basic civil rights and international treaty are scoffed at, is vulgar and repulsive for such a "civilized" society. Par for the course.

I used to visit a friend in prison every other weekend in NJ. He was dying in there are wasn't receiving any medical attention. I had to smuggle out this man's spit to be analyzed by a doctor who determined correctly that his lungs would soon fail. What a disgraceful way to receive not even medical care, but a shot in the dark diagnosis based on a loogey in a double-bubble wrapper. He was guilty of his crime, and that's something I couldn't quite grasp, but he was a mentally sick man who needed (and would have thrived from) the basic premise of rehabilitation.

There are innocent people in prison, but mostly those within are guilty as charged. But warehousing these people won't make them better, and upon release there's a good chance the cycle will continue because they haven't learned many skills to help divert them from those circumstances which landed them there. It's not cliche, it's solid statistical fact. This man's story is intriguing because it tells of why prisons are such hopeless places, but love still means something to those lost inside its ugly walls.
posted by moonbird at 5:28 PM on February 11, 2005

Its nice to see that some people actually read all the article.
Its 2005 and isn't USA and blue state California supposed to be at the forefront of human rights, and dignity. I'm not talking convicts here ; its the old lady from Utah - the phone monopoly rip off with the money not going where its supposed to; - the overcharging at the company store - its not exactly going to make people love the system.
Isn't this a mirror at American society?
posted by adamvasco at 5:30 PM on February 11, 2005

Alright Zed_Lopez, not the original source, but the first I found. Read Me.
posted by snsranch at 5:32 PM on February 11, 2005

Ok, upon review, maybe "small amounts" and pot aren't exactly correct. However the pardons did take place.
posted by snsranch at 5:35 PM on February 11, 2005

moonbird -- My ex's cousin is effectively getting the death penalty for being in the car with a dude who had some drugs on him... The lack of medical care in prisons is definitely disturbing...
posted by glider at 5:49 PM on February 11, 2005

glider: effing horrifying and sad.
posted by snsranch at 6:00 PM on February 11, 2005

Thanks for the post. I found the really fascinating part was the whole sub-culture of prison visitors I never guessed at. A whole different angle on the prison experience, thanks for a new perspective.

I have a good friend who was in prison for a little over two years, who, looking back on it, said the time was easier when he was not getting visitors. He said it was better because he didn't feel the urge to try and control what was going outside the prison (girlfriend, etc.).

I've been lucky to do some volunteer work at a local medium security prison, and there's not a whole lot of rehabilitation going on there, they're just basically being warehoused. I listen to those guys and then come home and it is hard to feel too sorry for myself if my cable modem is a little sluggish tonight.
posted by marxchivist at 6:16 PM on February 11, 2005

adamvasco thank you for the link. An interesting look inside a California prison. I wish there had been more information about the crime. As it is, it is left to the reader's imagination.

Was the victim a man or a woman? Was the victim at home late at night? Was there a toddler in another room? Did the toddler wake up hearing her mother screaming for mercy before the eardrum shattering report of a handgun being discharged inside of a house?

Any why didn't Dee take any action to report what had happened days or even weeks after the murder?
posted by mlis at 7:26 PM on February 11, 2005

I spent a few years covering a courthouse, following men and women and children make the transformation from orange jumpsuits and shackles (in bail hearings) to dressed up defendants (at trial), back to jumpsuits (behind the bulletproof glass in the visiting rooms).

Almost no one has a grain of sympathy for any aspect of the way inmates are treated -- unless they know one themselves. People love to snort and say, serves 'em right. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

They find it easy to forget that 95 percent of those people are coming back out to live with us again. I always kind of wondered if it wouldn't be a good investment to try to give them something to work towards. Besides revenge, I mean.
posted by sacre_bleu at 7:26 PM on February 11, 2005

sacre_bleu! (well said)
posted by marxchivist at 7:31 PM on February 11, 2005

One lady in a sedan made a cross with her fingers as I approached, holding her forefingers together as if warding off a vampire.

A part of his story was about how people treat prison visitors as scum. But was this guy treated badly in Chowchilla because he was visiting the local prison or because he was covered in tattoos?. Early on it's clear he stands out and is probably quite frightening to a lot of people. Is this right? No but it's predictable.
posted by missbossy at 7:36 PM on February 11, 2005

As some of you already know, my son was recently sentenced to a state prison. This story is one I can relate to now as I too have already witnessed and been the target of abuse by prison guards, and so soon into it. I don't want to get specific here, but I will say that even though my son assures me he's OK for now, knowing that I, a visitor and not an inamte, am treated poorly only makes me fear the worst for him and doesn't help me sleep well anymore.

It doesn't matter why a person is incarcerated. We can argue that (and have) all day. But as for what we do to actually "correct" these we've punished, we seriously need to consider what sacre_bleu said above. Unless you're all OK with a revolving door policy that never cures the "afflicted," you may at some point be at the wrong end of their rage during one of their moments "outside."
posted by LouReedsSon at 8:55 AM on February 12, 2005

I enjoyed reading this, thanks adamvasco. I noticed that the majority of the article was taken up by the authors difficulties more so than the plight of his partner in prison. He failed to evoke any sympathy in me, especially when he wrote:

my budget was low enough that I was sometimes known to sneak a ticketless ride myself. I also filched the occasional AM/PM burrito and once slipped out on paying for a Denny's meal on the way home from Valley State Prison

This totally destroyed any attempt at "innocence" in the piece.
And I can agree that prison reform is long overdue, if that is the point here. But I'm not buying the whole "life isn't fair" thing that he's trying to sell.
posted by boymilo at 10:30 AM on February 12, 2005

Good point, boymilo. There are some folks in this world who, when their finances are severely limited, simply do without, whether it means not visiting a distant friend/relative, not buying needed medications, or subsisting on Top Ramen. It simply doesn't occur to them to steal.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:54 AM on February 12, 2005

"I'll save my sympathy for the non-violent offenders.."

"screw violent offenders."

"But was this guy treated badly in Chowchilla because he was visiting the local prison or because he was covered in tattoos?. Early on it's clear he stands out and is probably quite frightening to a lot of people."

" I also filched the occasional AM/PM burrito and once slipped out on paying for a Denny's meal on the way home from Valley State Prison. This totally destroyed any attempt at "innocence" in the piece."


What great harm was visited on you people to you people to make you so fucking hateful?
posted by fingerbang at 11:15 AM on February 12, 2005

What great harm was visited on you people to you people to make you so fucking hateful?

From the article:

someone had ended up being killed

Maybe not so much visited on me, but great harm none-the-less.

You seem to imply that I "hate" the writer of the article. I don't. Would I walk up to him and give him a big hug and say "I understand what your going through is difficult"? No. I can appreciate what he had to go through to see his girlfriend is not pretty. But his attempt to rationalize his theft as "necessary" really leads back to the reason his girlfriend is where she is in the first place.
posted by boymilo at 11:40 AM on February 12, 2005

"Dee has used her time so far to go to school; learn a couple of trades; read countless books, including classic literature, which she first discovered in a Youth Authority class years ago; and, most promisingly, to blossom into an exceptional writer."

So much for the comments here claiming this woman hasn't had any access to rehabilitating opportunities. Not to mention that the quote shows Dee has had at least one previous term behind bars. Hard to be too put out for her, though I can easily imagine a closer look at her early life might show experiences pushing her in this direction.

The article, which saddened, disgusted and comforted me, overall was interesting and presented a rarely encountered POV. There are clearly many things wrong with prisons in California and the US and we ought to correct them. Compared to Mexico, for instance, where in recent weeks the Feds have had to move in to prevent imprisoned drug lords from taking complete control I think our problems are less than the level of imperfection found in any and every sizable human endeavor.
posted by billsaysthis at 3:04 PM on February 12, 2005

My brother's in prison in Maryland, and I found much of Sandford's story sadly familiar -- and I'll agree with the sentiments expressed by fingerbang and sacrebleu. The corrections system today is all about punishment and seems to be actually opposed to any rehabilitative possibilities. One supposes those who express a lack of sympathy for violent offenders have never themselves done anything that they've deeply regretted, and believe rehabilitation to be impossible.

The casual nastiness on the part of the guards Sandford describes is certainly a fact of life: if you love someone who's incarcerated, you're as guilty as that person, in a CO's eyes, and merit equivalent treatment.

What's most depressing about the prison visiting room, though, are the economic circumstances of both the cons and their visitors. While this is implied in Sandford's story, I'll come out and say it explicitly: the visiting rooms of each of the three institutions my brother was transferred between were (and are) populated by an overwhelming majority of poor people.
posted by vitia at 4:16 PM on February 12, 2005