Prison Abuse Indictments

Re “Grand Jury Indicts Eight for Abuses Inside State Prison,” Feb. 27: The FBI is to be congratulated for its success at uncovering some of the abuses that emanate from California’s Department of Corrections. If the abhorrent events at Corcoran State Prison were an isolated instance of CDC deceit and malfeasance, one might chalk up the situation to a few aberrant employees. Unfortunately, the facts suggest otherwise.

On Feb. 13, Del Norte County Deputy Dist. Atty. Jim Fallman filed an amicus curiae brief in Superior Court calling for a federal investigation of Pelican Bay State Prison, claiming that “certain administrators in CDC wish to sweep dirty linen under the rug” and that “higher CDC officials encouraged at least three lower-level line officers to ignore administrative subpoenas to come to an investigative meeting with the FBI.” Cover-ups and retribution against inmates also continue to occur at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, another of the state’s prisons.

The CDC needs to be investigated from the top down by the U.S. Justice Department in an effort to terminate the many abuses routinely engaged in by its employees at all levels.

ROBERT W. MOFFIE

Studio City

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No one expects the prison to be a country club. I was upset, however, to read about the prison guards baiting the prisoners to fight with each other for their amusement.

Would the prison guards be surprised to look in the mirror and realize they have become “them”?

NORA BARSUK

Glendale