Inside The Walls Of The Calipatria State Prison

Desert Local News/ Fronteras takes you on an inside tour of the Calipatria State Prison located in the Imperial Valley .

[MSW]

i VISIT MY HUSBAND THERE AND VISITORS ARE HARRASSED AND TREATED AS IF THEY ARE INMATES AS WELL; EVEN THOSE THAT FOLLOW THE RULES. IT IS REALLY SAD TO SEE SO MANY MEN JUST WASTING THEIR LIVES SERVING TIME AT CALIPATRIA.

[MAC]

I VISIT MY HUSBAND THERE AND I HATE HOW INMATES AND THERE LOVED ONES ARE TREATED! IT'S A SAD SIGHT AND I HATE GOING THERE. IT WAS MY FIRST VISIT AND IT WAS HORRIBLE. I FEEL FOR THESE INMATES AND WISH THAT IT COULD CHANGE FOR THEM. JUST BE PREPARED IF YOU GO TO VISIT YOUR LOVED ONE FOR A HORRIBLE TIME TRYING TO GET IN.

[Donna L]

So true. I visit my son who has been there the last 4 years. The staff are a piece of work. I told one of the gards as she was checking me in and giving me a bad time that," really there weren't any rules, that it all depended on who was doing the checking, what kind of mood they were in and if they had gotten any the night before."Needless to say she tried to check me & my daughter in each time after that so she could send us back for one reason or another. I just plan on having to change clother so I always bring the world. I have only NOT been sent back once. They truly treat the visitors worse than the inmates.

[nancy]

no one knoew what goes on behind the prison walls but the inmates themself the guard are full of it they treat the inmates like crap i believe but just remember that what goes around comes around no mater what mistakes people do no one leaves without paying god

[Sheree]

I understand your feelings (the 4 posted before me), but you have to remember that it is prison and that it's not meant to be a nice place. I totally don't believe that the guards should treat people just any kind of way but whatever way they choose it should be consistant. Therefore I know what to expect. However, the inmates made a choice to go left instead of right and now they have to pay the consequences. If they wanted to continue to live the 'good life', then they should have thought about it before committing the crime. I don't want to offend anyone, but you can't go through life hurting people and don't expect nothing to come back to you eventually. It's not fair. To: Nancy....you're right at the end of the day we have to give account to God only and that goes for everyone including the guards that are being rude.

[sharon]

its not just that prison either califorcia correctional institution is horrible i was actually physically assulted when i went to visit there one day last year ended up with a concussion and all i was told was oh sorry we thought you were someone else,our family members may have broke the law but we the visitors did not

[Piss off wife]

[I would like to say, some of the inmates there, should not be there. Not all are bad. So don't get it twisted. And yes, I understand it's a prison, and prison should not be a cake walk, but they are human beings too.(Those that have been misunderstood). And yes, some of the guards are full of themselves. You must respect them, but what about our respect. I'm just a visitor. The inmates don't have a voice, we must be their voice. We should take a stand and call higher headquaters. So my little advice is to stop complainting about it, be about it. And yes, only my Heavenly Father can Judge us. GOD bless you all

[brenda]

My grandson is doing 25 to life @ salinas Valley and I know in the last 4 yrs its always the same. they find something wrong. Last visit the problem was we cannot wear two rings or a necklace unless it has a cross on it. I have no problem with my rings and necklace until last visit. I agree it happen at all the Prisons.

[Juan]

Unfortunately, prisons are not not places and are meant to be unpleasant. We are not in there for being good, but for commiting crimes against humanity and breaking laws set forth by the People. We are given every opportunity to prove our innocense and we are judged by our peers. Every story has two sides and times we only hear one.
In this country our prisoners live in comfort compared to other countries. In Asian countries if you are charged a drug offense you will be sentenced to death and remain shackled until that day should arrive. Theives hands are cut off in 3rd world countries, and in some countries it is illegal to even drink.
It costs taxpayers approximately $80,000 per inmate per year to support them while they are supposedly incarcerated and being rehabilitated.
2 out of 3 inmates serving prison time will return.
I know being treated without respect when you visit an inmate is awful, but we are not used to the prison life. Yes we are disrespected but that goes with prison life and we should be glad we do not have to visit them in a foreign prison where you have to sit on a hard bench, talking through a barbed wire fence in the rain.
God Bless

[jay 1]

Are for real i haven't went to go see my husband since he move there and your rite that shouldn't do that to us

[jay 1]

Is it really that bad im going to visit for the first time next week and i hope its not like that

[MAKAYLA]

I was there in Jan for a week and I was told that I would be able to see my boyfriend when I went everyday was a nightmare and after 4 days of trying to see him i was turned down for some reason or another. and I was doing a special visit from california

[NUKE]

You HUG-A-THUGS seem to forget that your innocent Johnny committed a FELONY against another person. So, stop your crying and tell your SCUM BAG to man up and stop having sex with other inmates spreading HIV.

[S S R]

Sheree wrote:

I understand your feelings (the 4 posted before me), but you have to remember that it is prison and that it's not meant to be a nice place. I totally don't believe that the guards should treat people just any kind of way but whatever way they choose it should be consistant. Therefore I know what to expect. However, the inmates made a choice to go left instead of right and now they have to pay the consequences. If they wanted to continue to live the 'good life', then they should have thought about it before committing the crime. I don't want to offend anyone, but you can't go through life hurting people and don't expect nothing to come back to you eventually. It's not fair. To: Nancy....you're right at the end of the day we have to give account to God only and that goes for everyone including the guards that are being rude.

A M E N.... those people chose the life style they wanted to live. They were cought committing crimes, and now they must pay for those crimes. I personally do not want to see anyone in a cage, but, somewhere you make the exception. Had those "people" followed the rules, the prison guards would have to find a new job. At least the prison guards are not receiving welfare. The prisoners family (most of them) are, and the prisoners have more social benefits that I do. At least they get the benefits of free medical care and elective surguries. My former gril friend was at Fontana and not got a free boob job, she also got the lap-band. So why do prisoner get this benefit, and normal people do not??????????

[David C]

Booo frickn hooo ....Don't break the law and end up in prison.... Duhhh.

[mes j loc wife]

I will never 4 get the first day ever I went to. Visit my man these nija turttles swarmmed over our table and took me bk to processing and him to anothr room they. Strip searched me and these dirty corruptd pig thought I had a gun I was wearin jeans tight 1s and they swore up in down. I had sum thing. Well I did the full search cuz they said if all was good I cud cont. My visit. They these. Pigs lied . Well me wearin tight jeans and no undr wear so the male pigs asked the female pigs well they said she's ok they were wat. But she dnt got n. E. Unde ware. they went bak and askes him if he was gonna. Have sex lol.. me in the visitin room. Stupid c. O s. Well they tried to suspend my. Visit 4 , 6 mos I settled that shit. With the warden. That day . Those dam. Correctional officers need to b searched and. Delt with. They. The ones takin shit in. For thoses in mates... fukn dirty pigs

[the inside stay out]

MSW wrote:

i VISIT MY HUSBAND THERE AND VISITORS ARE HARRASSED AND TREATED AS IF THEY ARE INMATES AS WELL; EVEN THOSE THAT FOLLOW THE RULES. IT IS REALLY SAD TO SEE SO MANY MEN JUST WASTING THEIR LIVES SERVING TIME AT CALIPATRIA.

Cant do the time dont do the crime!

[thetruth]

I been there and yes the cos there are jackasses. There are rude and disrespecful to a lot of visitors. Soetimes they are nice to me and other times they are rude and disrespectful.Will see this week how they are.

[Decide]

I do not come from a family conducive to committing crimes; however, I do have one family member that has been locked up and may be sent to Calipatria. I hope to God that it is not this bad for visitors! If it is then the intent of the guards who are sewing these bad karmic seeds is to discourage visitors from returning and, coincidently, deny inmates their right to have visiations from family members. You did the crime, now do the time...but doing 'the time' does not mean being denied human rights and being treated like an animal. You can say what you want and we can do to these inmates what we want but one thing is a fact...the 'animals' that we create behind bars (meaning that many inmates go in one way and come out 4xs worst) will be released onto society and we will face them again. Who do YOU want to face...an inmate who has made mistakes and truly been rehabilitated by changing the way a man thinks (it can and has been done)...or, an inmate who has made mistakes and through institutionalized and consistent maltreatment has been turned into a killer or predator? Other prisons have a model for success of truly rehabilitating their inmates. Fact is...some inmates will NEVER change...but many can (and want to if truly given the opportunity). Society: DECIDE for it is you SOCIETY who will pay the ultimate price when payday arrives.

[Question]

"Decide" wrote, "...the guards who are sewing these bad karmic seeds.."

Are the guards sowing bad karmic seeds, or are they actually the manifestation of the bad karma that the inmate brought down upon himself by doing the crimes that got him locked up in the first place?

Instant karma, just add prison.