I have an internet friend on the "inside" who works in an upper NY prison, a max one. He was just telling me that the staff had BBQ'ed steaks 7/4 near the solitary unit and drove the men nuts. I asked what the inmates ate? He said they ate D chow bars. I had never heard of this. He said it was just a "select few, the shit throwers". He said they are like a dog biscuit. 8 oz of dehydrated potatoes, beets and beef stock. the D stands for disciplinary bar. He said that they can keep them on this a week. He said they had a lot of white supremicists in solitary.
I asked him how the men at Elmira used sledgehammers without a CO hearing them? He said there is an investigation to find that out. They are working 16 hr shifts due to staff shortages. Gee when I took that photo that was a no no in broad daylight before entering an Il prison to visit, when I went in, they knew ( i was taking photos of bushes, interesting bridges, etc etc, had no idea this was not ok). I think the men in the guard towers watch as visitors approach! Good thing that they didn't take my camera.
But of course what they worry about is that the photos are taken to plan an escape.

I had an experience like that taking a photo at Greenhaven in NY. I was not taking a photo of the prison...I was taking a picture of two friends in the parking lot. They didn't take my camera either when I explained that I didn't take a picture of the facility. How did I know it wasn't allowed?

Once when I was visiting at Riverview a woman took a picture and when we got into the visitor's reception area they confiscated her camera and told her she was in violation of a rule prohibiting picture taking on the facility grounds. I guess the CO in the guard tower saw her taking the picture and relayed that info back to the others. She complained about how was she supposed to know etc. and they showed her a sign posted on the fence prohibiting picture taking. After much drama (a sargent was called) they wound up giving her back the camera but they asked her to turn over the film. She was VERY upset b/c she had other pictures on there but what was the alternative? She came real close to not even getting a visit after coming all that way (Riverview is like 5 miles from Canada) ... it's crazy!!!

Holley...what facility does your friend work at???? Just curious

I had a digital camera. The thing is, they told me about posted rules also. They were behind several vans parked there, and I could not have seen them from my car. There was no info on their web site, ( check out Lawrence, IL) and furthermore I had called to get details of visiting rules.
He has never told me what facility other than it is upstate NY. I have never met him in person. I looked on a map about a month ago and thought it was probably Elmira or isn't there one called Upstate NY? he said it was a max. As a social worker I was really interested and wanted to hear details of solitary. I never attack him about things but ask questions and try to make him think some. He has told me I just wouldn't understand unless I was there. I'm sure I would understand things differently, but I can't imagine that it is really necessary to keep men in solitary for years. He said that it is 23 hours a day. I asked him if he can talk to the other men. He said usually they just hollered. I heard his stories ( which I had been probing about) before I found my foster kids' family members in prison.

Hi all
Yes there is a prison called upstate. What you internet friend was referring to was the "loaf". There have been article written on this.

It is supposed to be nutricious. IDK

Also this is supposed to be a disciplinary tool.

To say the CO's BBQ'd steak near the building and drove the inmates nuts is cruel.

Holley the max he is talking about is a SHU.....which means Special Housing Unit....yea real special.......The Upstate Correctional Facility I know of is in Malone, NY....I don't think Elmira has a SHU........

I'll have to check out the food bar using our search engine here. Prisons seem to be almost a law unto their own, a separate land. How is your guy doing deb?

Elmira does have a SHU, but only used for short term.

New York uses the "Loaf" when inmates contiually get tickets while in SHU. My stepson was on the "loaf" a couple of times. It is not considered cruel or anything inappropriate.

The fact that the "loaf" isn't considered cruel or inappropriate shows how twisted the system really is ...

When they can't think of any more ways to punish them, they come up with that, rather than offer rewards. It would be really interesting to me, to work in an Ad seg unit and see what incentives could be used to stop the really negative behavior such as shit throwing.

I certainly agree that the "loaf" as negative punishment is not the best way to go. I think positive incentives work so much better. It is to bad that NYS DOCS does not look into other options. The best that they get in SHU is time off their SHU sentence.

The loaf is at least food. There are worse punishments than inedible food.

Michelle