Did anyone see on Court TV "THE SYSTEM"?

I was floored! If this is OLD HAT, sorry! But, it was all about SHU at Pelican Bay!

love
Kathy
PS Hey this is way to COOL! I think this was long over due!
Glad to see it!

I saw it ....Everytime I hear Pelican Bay I think of Barb!

Court TV goes inside Pelican Bay, considered one of this country's most dangerous maximum-security prisons, to tell the story of the prison's elite security unit, as they come face to face with the most violent criminals in one of the toughest environments imaginable.

http://www.courttv.com/onair/shows/thesystem/

Wasn't that CRAZY about the Mexican Mafia?

YIKES! I can't remember but I think they said the guy calling all the shots had over 600 on his hit list which was rolled up and put where the Sun don't shine!

POOH!

I watched this last night...I was floored.

I watched this at 1 am this morning and I felt sick afterwards.

Theres a lot of things racing thru my mind and I really don't know what to say. My heart goes out to anyone who has a loved one there.

MRs. D

I second that Mrs. D, I second that!

I have been corresponding with several who are in there and when I told them that I had a son locked up in Calif., they became very concern because they didn't want my son Red Flagged as being a part of them or what the System believes to be who they are! They said that the System would do that just because I was writing them.

My son also became very worried when I told him I was writing 3 guys, but it is all innocent and about their Art. But, my son said it didn't matter that Pelican Bay is serious and they would mess with him just because I was writing these guys.

One guy has Life in SHU. I just think this SUCKS!

We need to change this! I just don't know how we can!

Love
Kathy

I watched it last night it gave me nightmares, I could not think about the hell hole , But you know the show only show the good guys never what really goes on.
I am glad Ed is in Vacaville CMF
Terri

There was a show on about all prisons with SHU programs when my son was in Pelican Bay SHU and after them saying several times that it housed THE WORST of the WORST, I couldn't watch anymore. Now my son is going back to the SHU and believe me , he is not the worst of the worst and I really hate hearing that.

I didn't see it and I think I'm glad I didn't I have a loved one locked up in there and it worries me daily although so far he has been fine

OK folks you caught me with my panties down. I live in South Orange County and I have Cox Cable they don’t offer Court TV so I missed this program. I have seen many TV shows done on Pelican Bay and I have yet to see one done much differently than the John Walsh Show. Do you believe everything you see on the JW show I think not so please don’t believe that the Bay is the WORST OF THE WORST. I will tell you that most of the convicts are doing life so there is just not much more that can be taken away from them. I have been corresponding with 7 convicts at the Bay and I would not hesitate to have any one of them in my home. There are a great many reasons that can land a California prisoner in the SHU at Pelican Bay. You don’t have to have horns and fangs growing out of your head to be considered SHU potential. That is not to say that there are not very dangerous men in there but they are not all raving lunatics either. Since I am completely in the dark on the show that was presented I will have to just say I have not seen a true story on the SHU yet. Love Barbara

I took some notes but I wasn't fast enough!

They mentioned alot about a guy named Haddick who went down in 1999 for a stabbing on the yard which of course was Video Taped and played over and over last night during the program. He was a White Supremist! And they talked about how the Gangs have to fight if they are ordered to do so. And if they don't they will end up stabbed.

They showed the Late night Raids and Code of Words.
Something about Soft Candy and Hard Candy, killing Fields and putting them in check.

They stated "MOST DANGEROUS are in SHU" or "THE MOST VIOLENT OFFENDERS"

Zero Tolerance, Leaderships in SHU, Notes and Messages to communicate with gangs on the street done thru the Mail, so they read every letter.

Kite-small notes hidden in their Butt and authorizing hits from SHU because they have life and don't care if they go to court.

They have 1 to 1.5 hours on the yard by themself.

They mentioned all the Gangs and how the yard is divided. But, hey we know all about that crap. As if they have a choice!

You can order the tape at the URL I posted!

Love
Kathy

My friend just wrote me today saying that in "lock down" he is allowed out of his cell once a week but they are in seperate cages outside like animals he likened it to the dog pound! :(

YES, they showed that too! It was a Tall Cage just outside of there cell door in SHU and also they showed the other cells and weapons used by inmates to poke the eyes of the guards.

It was very overwhelming for me! I will be praying for the Guys in SHU!

They have my HEART!

Love
Kathy

What is the name of this episode on Pelican Bay? I tried looking through the "Purchase Past Episodes" section, and I cannot find one on Pelican Bay. Thanks.

Ordinarily fascinated by prison documentaries, I have seen this program (a few times, actually). It is shocking, and my heart goes out to those guys.
I was writing a guy in High Desert at the time, and mentioned the program to him. He tells me he's transfering to Pelican Bay. He told me he had been at the Bay before, and it's not as bad as High Desert, which he refers to as High Drama. So, loved ones of Pelcian Bayers, take heart. I heard from him just this week, (after the transfer). He says the mailroom has improved, and the food is better - and with "more generous" (?) portions.

I will say at first the mail seemed to be slow at PB but now it's actually pretty good.I get mail from my friend with in about 4 days.From what I have read from him it doesn't seem nearly as bad as I "thought" it would be when I heard he was going there,sure there are a few things that boggle my mins like the one hour a week in a cage outside but so far seems ok for him,it's only been 3-4 months though.

SHU Secure Housing Unit that is where they are in their cell 23 ½ it is similar to the HOLE but worse. Pelican Bay has the most infamous one in the US.

Not all convicts serving time at the Bay are in the SHU you need to separate which facility you are referring to. The general population at the Bay is not considered one of the worst to be in. The weather is fairly cool year around and there are lots of trees in the distance. Any prison yard is dangerous it mostly depends on when and where you are at the time there are problems. I the SHU is a whole different story, you are locked up 23 hours a day and no one gets near you safety wise I would think it to be the best. That is not the problem in the SHU the problem is what is does to you mind and your general health. You don’t get any sun so your health is going to deteriorate because you need it to be healthy. The mental anguish is the worst you are always alone you can not talk to others around you-if you do the will write you up- You food is shoved through a slit in the cell door never touching another living being. If you are one of the lucky ones you get a visitor once in awhile. Visiting is through glass only I have not touched my son is over 10 years. In most prisons you write your letters with a regular ball point pen or pencils but in the SHU they give you only the insert out of the pen, then you have to wrap T/P or something around it to have something to hold on to. When you view the artwork here in PTO just think of that, when it is a drawing in color they have had to spend hours scrapping color off of magazines then apply it to their drawings with rolled up T/P. They can not have any health food sent in either like vitamins or protein drinks. When they get there lunch sack with their breakfast, they take out the nasty green meat and just eat the bread and cheese. You can also only have one yearly package so what ever you get has to last you the whole year but it is still only one 30 pound package. Love Barbara

The SHU at Pelican Bay meets all the requitements of torture as defined by the United Nations. Complete isolation is torture.

It's a shame we do things like this in America. The problem is most people don't know this is what they do because all they ever hear is talk about "four star hotels" and color TV's in prison.

The other problem is that, even if they knew, many people would approve because there is nothing you can do to prisoners that they wouldn't support.