Well, California has done it again! Is it a club house or a jail house? That is the question the U.S. Supreme Court has pondered and the result is the high court does not like 'bunking' now known as overcrowding that has prompted the release of over 33,000 prisoners this year. Whatever you want to call this issue, it is a disaster residing inside our state prisons and once released presents another set of intanglible problems set upon society to solve or endure. In fact, the state of our state prisons is classified as cruel and unusual punishment; a tenet that is part of our Constitution found in the Eighth Amendment that literally ends with these words: "…nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted." Our prisons are over 200% capacity leaving health and medical services in the wings for these inmates.

Drug addicts and low-crime offenders populate the prisons, as well as those serving life sentences under the Three-Strike law, so it's time to stop the "dramatic showdowns in court," said Douglas Berman, an Ohio State University law professor. Mark Leiman, a UCLA public policy professor states in the HUFFPOST LOS ANGELES May 24, 2011, "If they [California prison officials] don't want the federal courts messing with their prisons, then run decent prisons." Mr. Berman, an expert on sentencing laws clearly sees the errors of California: the Three-Strike law, longer sentencing - all add fire to the meltdown of our prison system! The fear, according to Justice Antonin Scalia is there will be "more criminals on the streets." The real fear should point to our legal system that has clearly failed.

Already there are hunger strikes occurring at this writing. "Inmates in at least 11 of California's 33 prisons are refusing meals in solidarity with a hunger strike staged by prisoners in one of the system's special maximum-security units, official said Tuesday," writes Sam Quinones with the latimes.com on July 1, 2011. "More than 400 prisoners at Pelican Bay are believed to be refusing meals...," he states.

What's going on here? Have we as citizens lost our minds? Have we reduced ourselves to the same status as Iraq's prison system, or better yet China's prison system that is notorious for human rights violations? Everyone knows that Pelican Bay is one of the most horrendous prisons systems built to house the worst of the worst in our society- the most incorrigible. But wake up, these prisoners, albeit some are partakers of horrific crimes, are suffering the basics of human existence. They are staging a round of hunger strikes throughout the prison system, announced over their web site, http://pelicanbayprisonproject.org/aande.htm complaining about the most extreme conditions that are likened close to torture. Can you imagine trying to keep your mental balance when confined to "cells that have no windows and are soundproofed to inhibit communication among inmates... 22.5 hours a day?"

On Sunday, a radio talk show host was talking about this issue that prompted this blogger to dig around online and find out "What going on?" The person being interview, whose name and affiliation was missed, talked about similar starvation strikes in Ireland's prison system for similar reasons.

From news clippings, it seems those imprisoned at Abu Ghraib, excluding water-boarding, of course, may have more Constitutional rights than those in our state prisons and with better living conditions. At least those is Abu Ghraib are allowed to matriculate with each other and apparently they were allowed to keep their faith current in some fashion, whether it was their dress or their ability to pray daily. The interviewee talked about Pelican Bay's treatment of prisoners under current conditions stating it will eventually cause mental disorders. Is this the intent of our prison systems? Not really, but what then? The intent of this isolation, in part, is to prohibit exchange between rival gangs, yet according to the interviewee the gangs are putting aside their differences and banding together on this very serious issue. Enough is enough! Further blogs on this subject will ensue!