December 28, 1994 - Vol.25 No.26 - Senator's Survey - IN THIS ISSUE - Wardens Reject Mandatory Terms for Drug Offenders

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December 28, 1994 issue of “Senator’s Survey” reporting on a multi-state survey of prison wardens about mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenders. It highlights results showing strong opposition to mandatory sentences and calls for alternatives such as home detention and halfway houses. The issue also describes “High-Tech Alcatraz,” a new Federal super-maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, detailing restrictive security measures and operating rules for the most violent inmates.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

IN THIS ISSUE

WARDENS REJECT MANDATORY TERMS: Wardens Reject…

HIGHI-TECH ALCATRAZ: Ready…

SMOKING BAN: Texas And Virginia

ARIZONA SHERIFF: No Coffe

VIRGINIA SHERIFF: No Santa Claus

ANTI-REPEAT DWI PACKAGE MAILED

TEXAS KILLER: Executed

MONTANA CASE: Settlement Reached

MARGARET PUGHI: New Alaska Chief

VIRGINIA: Higher Inmate Load

WOMEN INMATES: D.C. Violations Cited

NEW HAMPSIIIRE: Population Quadruple

HIGH-TECH “ALCATRAZ” READY FOR CUSTOMERS

December 28,1994 Vol.25 No.26 Senator's Survey: IN THIS ISSUE WARDENS REJECT MANDATORY MANDATORY TERMS: Wardens Reject……………………………1 TERMS FOR DRUG OFFENDERS HIGHI-TECH ALCATRAZ: Ready………………………………………1 More than half the prison wardens in a new SMOKING BAN:Texas And Virginia …………………………………3 survey said they did not support mandatory mini- mum penalties for drug offenders. Eighty-five ARIZONA SHERIFF:No Coffe……………………………………………5 percent said elected officials have failed to offer effective solutions to crime. VIRGINIA SHERIFF:No Santa Claus……………………………………5 Many of the 157 wardens polled in eight ANTI-REPEAT DWI PACKAGE MAILED…………………………6 states said the nation is wasting scarce prison space on nonviolent offenders and they urged greater use TEXAS KILLER:Executed……………………………………………………………6 of alternatives such as home detention and halfway houses. MONTANA CASE: Settlement Reached……………………………………7 The survey was released Dec.21 by Sen. MARGARET PUGHI:New Alaska Chief…………………………………8 Paul Simon(D-III.),a member of the Senate Judi- ciary Committee. VIRGINIA:Higher Inmate Load………………………………………………9 The wardens also called for additional WOMEN INMATES: D.C. Violations Cited……………………………9 prevention programs,smarter use of prison space and resources, and expanded alternatives to incar- NEW HAMPSIIIRE:Population Quadruple…………………………9 ceration. Simon told a news conference in Washington HIGH-TECH"ALCATRAZ" that the survey was aimed at introducing a "reality READY FOR CUSTOMERS check" as Congress prepares to renew its debate on anti-crime policy. "An uncommon level of security" is the understated way wardens describe the new Federal Republicans will control the new Congress prison in Florence,Colo.,that is opening for the that takes office Jan.4. In their "Contract With nation's most violent,incorrigible prisoners. America," House Republicans call for,among other things, throwing out major portions of the The $60 million U.S. Penitentiary Adminis- $30 billion crime bill this year. trative Maximum Facility in the southern Colorado The GOP would kill many of the bill's crime community of 3,500 is the first Federal prison ever built just for the most predatory inmates in the U.S. prevention provisions. A Republican bill would Bureau of Prisons. Nearly 500 of them will be sent spend more on prison construction,but provide it only to states that imprison violent criminals for at to Florence. (See NEW"ALCATRAZ," page two) (MANDATORY TERMS,from page one) least 85 percent of their sentences or to statesmoving in that direction. The survey results raise questions about theRepublican proposals to reduce spending on crimeprevention,Simon said. Almost three-fifths of the wardens surveyedsaid they believed mandatory minimum sentencesfor drug offenders should be repealed. (NEW"ALCATRAZ,"from page one) Aicatraz was their home in years past.Thena Federal penitentiary in Marion,III.,was modifiedfor the purpose.Now comes "Super Max." "There's no doubt this is a severe program,"said John Vanyur,the prison's associate warden."This is not a typical prison facility.It's one of akind.And it's only used for this very smallnumber of people." There are motion detectors in undergroundcrawl spaces,1,400 remote-controlled sliding steeldoors,cameras covering virtually every nook andcranny,and 12-foot chain link fences topped withrazor wire. The 7-feet-by-12-feet cells could be de-scribed as spartan.They contain a polished steelmirror(glass is a weapon)riveted to the solidconcrete wall.The toilet and shower are steel andfixed to the walls;the bed is a slab of concretecovered with a mattress.The only other place tosit is an immovable concrete cylinder in front of awriting table,also concrete. Cells are designed so inmates cannot makeeye contact with other prisoners,or see anythingoutside except the prison walls and the Coloradosky. A Permanent Lockdo

FAQs

What do the survey results say about mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenders?

More than half of the prison wardens reported they did not support mandatory minimum penalties for drug offenders. Eighty-five percent said elected officials failed to offer effective solutions to crime, and many urged alternatives to incarceration.

What is “High-Tech Alcatraz” described as in the issue?

It is a new Federal super-maximum security prison facility in Florence, Colorado, designed for the nation’s most violent, incorrigible prisoners. The article details extensive security systems and tightly controlled daily routines.

How are inmates restricted and managed at Super Max?

The piece states inmates are kept on near-constant lockdown, with severe limits on activities and interaction. It also describes controlled medical access, restrictions on law books, and visitor separation using thick protective glass.

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