Clinton Lee Young – Loud and Clear
Topic: Problem? Solution!
Date: March 16, 2020
When a problem develops, it is only natural for me to seek a solution. The problem is that currently plaguing the TDCJ is staff shortages. While I would love to solve all that, my main focus is Texas Death Row.
The staffing problems have an impact on rec. and time it takes to get to visit. As often they will have one escort team. If some of the ‘freedom fighters’ on level 2 and 3 is causing ‘use of forces’. Then staff have to suit up the extraction team. A couple guys in ad-seg start to express themselves in disruptive ways. This will adversely impact staff available for other areas. With only one escort team for visit, it has resulted in people having to wait an hour, sometimes two. Many people travel long distances to visit. Add in other life responsibilities. This added time becomes a major complication. More so at times a guy here cannot get all of his visit time.
Okay, in other states a person on death row can have contact visits (California is working on a program that will have guys on death row moved to different prisons around the state. They will be in general population). In Texas the classification system is G1 through G5. G5 (close custody) being the most restrictive before entering ad-seg (Texas recently changed the name of ad-seg to restrictive housing, a duck is a duck no matter what color you paint its ass!). Death row is housed like the ad-seg people are. G5 is a disciplinary level. Guys being assaultive and such. Mass majority of the problems a unit has occurs with the G5s. Now when a G5 goes to visit, they do so with just one officer while handcuffed. The same thing could be done with death row. They could make it so that death row level 1s can be escorted with one officer. They could even put leg shackles on for extra security during a single officer escort. Or reserve the leg shackles for those with security precaution designators. This would reduce the time it takes to get to visit by a great deal. I prefer they free walk us by ourself. Though I doubt they would do that.
Every part is gated off. It is not like there is this wide range of areas to possibly roam.
The restrictive housing plan allows for group recreation if warden and regional director approve it.
Guys are in ad-seg for behavior problems or being affiliated with certain gangs. Even if they never been in trouble! They can get locked up for a tattoo and known association. Anyways. The point is that G5s can have single officer escorts. Ad-seg could get group rec. Guys are serving life without parole who are going to die in prison. No hope.
They are allowed to get contact visits and such. Death row will eventually be opening up. A law suit is coming and Texas death row has a greater leg to stand on than other states. As Texas actually allowed work and group rec by law. The board has just suspended it.
I am shocked that the powers that be have not went ahead and made changes and opened up death row before litigation. As once the law suit starts, they will be able to have less say in how it goes. Muslims never could win on beards until they had a lawyer and expert sue for them. Death row now has lawyers and will have experts, plus many other states to point as examples. That being said, it makes more sense to start slowly bring different things into play.
There is now this problem of staff shortages and visit. Allow single officer escort to visit. Or allow single officer, well, AND/OR allow single officer on pod escort for rec. and shower. TDCJ knows the prison population with less problems is death row. Most have never been on level 2 or 3. Hell most never even been in trouble. There is only two full pods of death row level ones. Plus another section on c-pod. Some productive changes can be made. Better yet, restore at least the group rec. portion of death row plan. Three people in the dayroom. Can cut hand cuff slot in section gate and put slot on outside rec yard door. Officer puts one guy in the dayroom. Secures door. Goes to next cell, gets second guy. Uncuffs him behind section gate. He goes and opens dayroom door, enters and then secures door. Repeat for third person. No one is exposed while handcuffed and officer is never with anyone not cuffed.
That is remove the security button on cell door and roll doors from picket, so staff could be off doing other things like escort for visits.
Bottom line is something can be done to better adjust to the new reality. I spoke to officers about the single man escort to visit. The reply I was given always goes back to “yeah, they single man escort G5s!”.
I hate to offer up this last solution. But it is an option. Reason I hate to offer it up is because I would prefer them opening up more and singleman escort. It would just speed everything up and result in less days where pods have to shut down for staff issues. TDCJ allows units with high traffic visit areas to go from 7am to 5pm. Instead of 8-5.
Shift change here is 5:30am – 5:30pm. A 7am-5pm visit schedule would not disrupt shift change. Count is 6:30am and 8:30am as far as that starting time range. So a 7am time start would not interfere with count time.
The warden could get permission to do this from the Regional Director. I believe the warden here could okay it himself. Though being everyone overreacts when it comes to death row, am guessing he would seek okay from regional.
Being that visitation is currently closed, which it should not be for death row! Now would be the ideal time to discuss and put forth these various changes.
Start visits at 7am and allow single officer escort. Problem solved! No one would be turned away. All would get proper time. No more complaints. See, a plausible solution.
I know y’all are just amazed as how I can always come up with such great ideas. It is not easy being great, though I do my best!
Like the old country song by Mac Davos ‘Hard to be humble’. It is hard, but I do my best! Give it a listen and smile.
Alrighty then.
Take care, smile, and strive for all that you desire.
Another blog will be posted shortly before or after this one, so keep an eye peeled for that one also.
Veni, vidi, vidi
In solidarity
I remain,
Clinton Lee Young #999447
D.R.-Polunsky
3872 F.M. 350 South
Livingston, TX 77351
U.S.A.
www.clintonyoungfoundation.com
p.s. on visit list print outs, it now lists video visits. It has regular visit, contact visit, special visit, and now has video visits. Which means TDCJ will be allowing some class of prisoners to have video visits.