Prison Justice?

[*Leo the Lioness*]

i'm posting this cuz i'm interested in people's opinions on this subject

the following summary is of a newspaper article that appeared in my local paper recently......i live not far from the Sing-Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, NY......There was an incident involving two Correctional Officers (CO's) and an inmate who was a homeless man in his 40's, jailed for a tresspassing charge, and he was known to be mentally ill

CO #1 was putting the inmate back into his cell, when the inmate punched him in the face one time....as CO #1 was subduing him by tackling him to the ground, another CO (CO #2) came rushing over to his aid and delivered 4 very hard kicks to the inmate's head, yelling "NEVER HIT AN OFFICER", causing him to be in a coma.....it was said in the article that the force of the kicks was so severe, there were loud echos off the walls of the cell, heard down the hallway and there was a large pool of blood in the cell......they haven't been able to locate any family members to let them know the man is comatose and will likely die


CO #2 asked all officers on the scene to lie in their reports and say that the inmate had fallen when he was being subdued and cracked his skull open "himself".......CO #1 had originally gone with the lie, but then he changed his mind and turned in his fellow officer, even testifying against him in court

the article was about how CO #1 is now blacklisted at work, and possibly in even more danger, since the rest of his coworkers see him as a traitor and are less likely to come to his aid in the event of another incident with the inmates....there seems to be an unwritten code among officers that you back each other up, no matter what, which is understandable given the nature of their work and the people (animals) that they're in charge of, putting their lives at risk

some say he shouldn't have ratted the guy out, and some say he did the right thing....what do you think he should've done, if anything different?....do you see him as a traitor or did he do the right thing?

and do you think he should look for other work, or dig in his heels and continue working there?

[Myra]

He did the right thing in my book..settin and example...as for the working there , I dont know . I would have to be in that situation, I would like to say yea he should work there, But he could be in for a lot of trouble if he does.

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Everyone thinks i am insane.... all but my friends deep inside the earth......

[WARLORD]

both were wrong. if you don't stand by the men that protect you then you shouldn't be protected, on the other hand you can't have a guy around that resorts to such aggresive behavior. an eye for an eye, not an eye for two legs and an arm....

[Chilly]

I have friends who work at a local prison.....and i have friends who have been in prison....so i have heard horror stories from both sides. There are times when excessive force is necessary and there are times when force is used to much. Most of the time its a judgement call on the officers part. But do they have a right to judge? And when a call is made that is NOT right, should they be punished for using too much force or should they be made to report a fellow officer for using that force? It's a tough choice for that kind of job knowing the kind of people they deal with day in and day out.

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I am who I am and if you don't like me the way I am...TOUGH SHIT *S*

[Xenia]

having lived in nyc,i for one remember the scum bags trolling around the city and boroughs i have family in law inforcement and know what they have to deal with on a daily basis,on the same token i have friends that have had theyre rights violated by the police(law)...and i definately see both sides....but my oppinion and point is very simple...after the first blow to head(becuz how could he have know that one was coming)he should of tried to intervene,somehow,someway now we all know in the heat of the moment that addrenalin can run pretty hot...but thats what theyre trained for..right?and well as far as honor goes,what good is it if you cant sleep at night,and whats the cost...i can sympathize with his dealings among his coworkers,but that goes with his struggle with morality at the time of the scuffle...nobody says doin the right thing is an easy thing,but if your willing to make a stand on ur own ethics then be prepared for the aftermath i say....hey look at it this way..that could be ur uncle vinny or somethin..maybe even grandpa...its funny but sad tho,sometimes i dont think prison and justice shouldnt be in the same refrence.... this all points to a much bigger issue tho, social reform,better training for the men and women who prtect us,more resources and funding for those in need or with dissabilities....but thats another thread...

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wont you listen to me Sam he's a devil not a man he spreads the burning sand with water......... cool.......... clear.......... water

[juliet smiles]

cops/law enforcement officers have a difficult job. One they don't get paid enough for what they have to face day in and day out. most times they are unappreciated. As for what happened I think thats terrible. it would be hard to turn in a fellow officer, but then again, why should cops be above the law? they shouldn't. Circumstances may call for force, but there is such a thing as going to far, which he obviously did. For the other officer to continue working there, i would imagine they might make it very difficult for him. he does have the right to stay I think.