Florida prisons are starting a new system in which their aim is to eventually tag every inmate in their custody with a wristband and an ankle monitor. The logic behind such a pricey and dehumanizing endeavor is so that the Department of Corrections can monitor the heart rates of every inmate so as to be alerted instantly if and when an inmate partakes in any heart accelerating drugs. With this technology they are also able to track an inmate’s whereabouts on the prison compound so that they can’t go into a dormitory or area that they aren’t assigned to. And finally, they are able to detect and jam the signals of any cellular devices. Now these are just the things that they ”say” that this technology will be capable of doing, but as we all know about D.O.C, what about what they don’t tell you.
Will these devices also be capable of sending an electric shock to an inmate at will, or even worse, will they be able to secrete harmful substances into an inmate’s system unbeknownst to the inmate? Who really knows what kinds of nefarious schemes the Florida D.O.C really has up their sleeve.
And that’s why my question to all this is , is all that really necessary? Is it really necessary to tag humans like cattle in an attempt to gain even more invasion and scrutiny into the lives of an already massively controlled population of people? Because mind you, the ones that are approving and implementing these devices are the same individuals that refuse to approve better quality food or appropriate food portions because they say the budget is restricted. But if that were true, how could they get approval for the hundreds of millions of dollars it’s gonna cost for the even more forms of security and control they plan with these new devices.
At some point some one has to say enough, because true enough we are here for punishment, but we as human beings still retain some inalienable rights. And I’m kinda thinking that being tagged as cattle is surely a form of intruding on those rights.
Now I know there will be the ones who have never been in this situation but will say that I am whining or crying and if you can’t do the time don’t do the crime and blah blah blah. And as I always say, you can say a lot from the sidelines but when it’s your turn to get in the game, let’s see how well you play. Because I, by no means, wrote this with the intention of crying or whining, but to simply bring awareness to what is taking place in the Florida Department Of Corrections. This is a true good ole boy state that has always chosen punishment over all else, so as a Floridian, it’s something I’ve become accustomed to; however this is just too much.
Florida prisons already have cameras, officer body cams, tasers, pepper spray, and the National Guard working here for Christ’s sake, and there’s still a need for more security. I think the ones approving the budget need to be more mindful of how that money is being spent. Because I’m sure a lot more productive programs could be implemented with such funds in order to reduce an already massively overcrowded system that thinks being “tough on crime” is actually the answer. However, all that that has done is caused a swelling prison population and an allegedly strained budget, with crime steadily climbing.
See what these self proclaimed “tough on crime” types fail to realize is that fear of a harsher sentence is not a good determent from wrongdoing when that’s the only way a person knows how to survive. How about giving one alternative skill set so as to become productive members of society instead of warehousing and scrutinizing one to death.
So this is a call to anyone that is concerned enough to care about this situation to the point of saying that Florida D.O.C is honestly going too far. Your voices and concerns are very much needed to shed light not just on this, but on the many forms of nefarious practices that are currently taking place in Florida prisons (from price gouging, to officer on inmate rape and abuse, to death, and everything in between). Yes, we have committed crimes, yes a lot of us do deserve to be removed from society until we learn how to behave appropriately, but at the end of the day, we are still human beings. And no matter how much you may try to categorize us as animals, we are not, so is it really necessary to tag us as such.
Michael Philpot #105377
Mayo Correctional Institution
8784 US Highway 27 West
Mayo, Florida 32066-3458
8784 US Highway 27 West
Mayo, Florida 32066-3458
5 Comments
It’s amazing how some people can be so narrow minded and see things in only one way. There are a lot of different avenues to reducing crime and rehabilitating an incarcerated population. However, when you aren’t a thinker you think that harsher punishments are actually the answer. Even if you never let the current offenders out, new ones are still popping up everyday. So for you self proclaimed ” tough on crime ” fanatics, your just wasting money and crime is still on the rise nationwide. How about finding out why there’s such a need for offenders to offend in the first place. I’ve noticed this tough on crime seems to have a hard on for Mr Philpot, not sure why but how about you contact him and address it personally instead of hiding in a comment box.
I’m sure you are writing on behalf of Mr. Philipot. So you can read him this comment too. The way to slow down criminal behavior is good up brining. Not programs etc. The problem starts at home. it is not the job of the Government or the State to raise children to not be criminals. Take some goddamn responsibility. I’m black so I” speak on the black community. Our focus tend to focus on celebrities and entertainers instead of education. That right their is a problem. Also refusing to find suitable mates to get married and have children with is a problem in our community. Also that violent trashy hip-hop needs to go. It’s poisonous to the mind of youths. You want different avenues, well that’s a start. ,
“Fixed errors”. I’m sure you are writing on behalf of Mr. Philipot. So you can read him this comment too. The way to slow down criminal behavior is good up bringing. Not programs etc. The problem starts at home. It is not the job of the Government or the State to raise children to not be criminals. Take some goddamn responsibility. I’m black so I will speak on the black community. Our focus tends to focus on celebrities and entertainers instead of education. That right there is a problem. Also refusing to find suitable mates to get married and have children with is a problem in our community. Also that violent trashy hip-hop needs to go. It’s poisonous to the mind of youths. You want different avenues, well that’s a start. ,
Tough on crime EXTREMELY effective. 1% of the population commits 63% of all violent crime in the United States. In New York City, that figure is just shy of 99%.
70% of criminals who are released from prison get arrested again within 5 years. That does NOT mean that 70% commit crimes, it means 70% got CAUGHT. The actual number who commit crimes is much higher.
80% of criminals with a juvenile record get arrested again withing 5 years of release.
If these criminals were still in prison, they would not be ABLE to commit their violent crimes on the rest of society.
Yes it’s necessary. It seems to me that the Florida DOC is trying to help manage their inmate population. What is wrong with monitoring the inmates to make sure they are safe? Since I am a tax paying citizen of Florida I have no problem using my money to better watch over my prisoners and help the staff remain control if need be. Also the electric shock is a rumor and not true. Even if it was, its a better way to control the prisoners instead of having to use physical force. Humans get “tagged” all the time. when a person is on house arrest they are “tagged” with an ankle monitor. Also civilians are “tagged” our cell phones and cars have GPS monitoring. Our prisoners who belong to the state, should defiantly be monitor closely. I don’t wants my prisoners getting high and neglected and then turn around and try to sue the state. I respect Florida DOC for trying to make a change.