My boyfriend is a musician and so far got away with retaining his long hair in Chino (reception). But he's since been transferred to Corcoran and he wrote in his last letter that they're cutting his hair. It's freaking him out because his hair has been long since he was 12. So, how short will they cut it, does anyone know?

Look on the CDCR website and in the Title 15 under "Grooming Standards" and it should tell you what length the hair needs to be.

My guy had waist length hair before going in and they were going to give him a "geek" cut (whatever that is - those were his words) so he just had them shave his head. Honestly I think he still looks great.

In my opinion it is mostly done to humiliate the prisoner.
If it was me I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of freaking out. At least hair grows.

I think it used to have something to do with getting a job. If you kept your long hair then you couldn't get one but things have probably changed since then.

If he refuses to cut his hair he can be written up and eventually placed on C Status. The grooming standards came into place because of the history of inmates hiding stuff in their hair. The most famous of which is the inmate at San Quentin who had a gun smuggled in with his lawyer and hid it in his hair. That one cost many people their lives.

Oh my God that was some kind of lawyer! How awful!

My guy just told me he saw quite a few long-haired inmates at Lancaster last year. He said they were transvestites, had hair down to their mid-backs. I wonder how they got away with it?

I have heard that some prisons enforce the grooming standards more than others. All the prisons I have worked at have enforced it pretty consistently but I guess some of the older prisons do not.

In July, 2005, the California 9th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled on a lawsuit brought by an American Indian concerning long hair for religious reasons. Their ruling was in favor of the Indian. In the ruling, the court also stated that the CDC had not proven that hair needed to be cut in low security prisons; that the CDC discriminated between men and women because they allow the women to have long hair if they wear it up; that the CDC had not proven long hair to be a security risk for risk of assault for men vs. women because there was only a 1.5% difference between statistics of men and women. I have been reviewing all the proposed changes coming from CDC since that ruling and so far there are no proposals to change the long hair policy for men even for religious reasons. As the sergeant said, he can be written up and deemed a program failure and lose all privileges. That is what happened to the American Indian. He spent his entire sentence that way and was out of prison by the time the Court ruled. When he was within 18 days of being released, the CDC got the case dropped by the lower court because he would be out. The Indian then took it to the higher court of appeal and got his ruling.

They still do that? My man has long hair as well and has never been told to cut it. I guess some prisons enforce it more than others.

I could have fun with that one... Yeah, women inmates are allowed to keep their hair long. Indeed, they're even allowed an 'extra' appliance (per the CDCR's inmate property rules) if one's a hair care appliance (blow dryer or curling iron), a brush, etc. Hmm. Equal Protection clause violation? Gender is a quasi-suspect classification, so "intermediate scrutiny" would be applied; the burden would thus be on the state to show a substantial relationship to an important government interest. Given the July 2005 ruling (which I'll Lexis for; now I'm curious), that standard doesn't look to be met...

I could have fun with that one... Yeah, women inmates are allowed to keep their hair long. Indeed, they're even allowed an 'extra' appliance (per the CDCR's inmate property rules) if one's a hair care appliance (blow dryer or curling iron), a brush, etc. Hmm. Equal Protection clause violation? Gender is a quasi-suspect classification, so "intermediate scrutiny" would be applied; the burden would thus be on the state to show a substantial relationship to an important government interest. Given the July 2005 ruling (which I'll Lexis for; now I'm curious), that standard doesn't look to be met...

It is Warsoldier vs. Woodford. Can find the complete decision on http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/opinions+by+date?OpenView&Start=1&Count=100&Expand=1.1#1.1 and click on July.

Sic 'em Strasse!!

It's been a while since they "forced" my brother to cut his... He was in Sierra Conservation fire camp... He was told if he didn't cut his hair he was going to have to do his full sentence... not to mention C/O were on his a** (his words not mine) until he did it. Good luck to your friend but if they are pushing it ... from what I have heard there really isn't much he can do.

Here's an update for the curious. I went to visit him and they wouldn't allow my visit unless he cut his hair. So he had it cut right before the visit. Also, a CO was harrassing him, telling him if he didn't cut it he would be sorry and that he'd have to do 90 extra days and a bunch of other stuff. So he decided to just cut it and be done with it. He'd had long hair since the age of 12, and for many people cutting of their hair is emotional. I felt sorry for him, but he put on a good front for me, but did say he was still in shock. He's got 4 months left and he said it would grow out and I told him I'd take him to my hair stylist when he got out and get a cool cut.

I am sorry... I guess corrections feel they have good reason for it... but it doesnt make things any easier for the inmates. Best of luck to you and your man.