On Wednesday, August 17th, a dozen or so reporters were given unprecedented access to the Secure Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay. Given that there was a near media blackout by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation while the prisoners were actively on hunger strike, this is a testimony to the pressure that's being placed on CDCR. The tour, coming in advance of the legislative hearing in Sacramento on August 23rd, was also a chance for CDCR to do some damage control in terms of its image.

Links to some articles, audio and images generated by the tour are listed below.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/08/18/28304/inside-pelican-bay-state-prisons-secure-housing-un/

http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2011/08/18/officials-prison-isolation-units-focus-of-reform/

To read first hand information from prisoners about what it's like to be housed in the SHU, and other writings from the inside go to:

http://prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/voices-from-inside/

Add a comment to this post