So...Don't you hate it when OP's start threads with: "so"...such as in the hangout,...Jeez, I'm getting cranktankerous, pretty soon I'll be telling my kids to get out of my chair... I am not sure when Gitmo will close, maybe this year, but it appears terrorists will be coming to supermax prisons, the fear by some is that there will be a breeding ground for indoctrination due to these fine chaps coming on over to the supermax facility near you... No state or district seems to be telling Obama, bring 'em over here please...Now I am indifferent to Gitmo existing or not existing, but it's funny that some state reps and senators who may have a problem with Gitmo, aren't exactly advertising "terrorists welcome"... Are supermax prisons the best choice for putting these guys among the worst of our worst? Could there be any political backlash?...We know politicians fear the potential consequences that are unknown. Which supermax prisons come to mind? http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_OBAMA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
fortunately our prisons have plenty of room to spare. although this could be another argument for legalizing weed. Out with the stoners in with the terrorists.
There are already radical Islamist terrorists in prison, and low and behold the prison population hasn't been radicalized and indoctrinated. There is a high tech super max prison in Montana that has volunteered to house the prisoners from Gitmo. There should be no problems. Here is a story about how excited the people were to have all the folks from Gitmo come to their prison. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1894373,00.html
You are correct about the prison in Montana. I posted an article about it yesterday. And regarding people’s concern about terrorists fraternizing with domestic prison populations, Josh Marshall addresses this quite nicely. Maxed Out Setting aside the truly ludicrous idea that imprisoned terrorists are going to break out of prison like something out of an old Jimmy Cagney movie, I have heard from a number of readers who say we should be worried that these terrorist prisoners will spread their ideas within the prison system. If you imagine that these al Qaida dudes are going to be hanging around the prison yard, pumping iron and forming their own Islamist gang to go toe to toe with the Aryan Brotherhood and the Black Guerrilla Family that might make some sense. But I don't think these folks are really familiar with how the federal supermax facilities work these days -- particularly the premier one in Florence, Colorado, where all the high profile baddies are. All these guys are in solitary lockdown at least 23 hours a day, when they're allowed into a special exercise cage. Then there's the 78 cell "control unit" for prisoners who are not allowed any contact with anyone. This article from the Post from a few years ago has more details. --Josh Marshall
Not one?...are you sure? I bet you a pop... Regardless, the more, the merry. eh? Nice. but according to a video display by a source from the American Correctional Association, Montana is not listed as a state with a supermax prison.?...
I have not seen a record of any. If someone has been but no problems have arisen, then it doesn't appear to be a real problem.
I've volunteered to keep one in my garage and already got the shackles screwed into the wall studs. As long as the family keeps their promise not to learn Arabic or teach him English, I feel pretty safe. Plus, the CIA says that once a week I can poke him with sticks without criminal liability. You should inquire about one yourself. I think you would make an ideal overseer.
I think the communications need to include the wording "possible maximum security prisons for the terrorist destinations" if the Montana prison is chosen because there are no prisons in Montana defined as a supermax. Heck,..when does it stop? Will terrorists be on the side of the roads picking up trash and getting some ideas while there. This needs to be explained to the people as to whether or not it will be supermax prison systems only or not.
I understand what you are saying, but I don't know about this "excitement"...The article had some glaring red flags off the bat... Reaction from Montana's three-man Congressional delegation was swift and unanimous, but hardly supportive. "I understand the need to create jobs, but we're not going to bring al-Qaeda to Big Sky Country — no way, not on my watch," said Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat. (See pictures from inside the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.) Many local taxpayers are livid at Hardin officials. "It's been a complete fiasco since the beginning, and I don't see how they built it without any solid contracts," says Mike Carpata, a forester with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as he shopped for reloading supplies at Lammer's Trading Post, where locals and members of the Crow Tribe come to buy guns and ammo, beading supplies, or to sell for quick cash their saddles, buffalo robes and beaded-buckskin ceremonial costumes. But others remain supportive of the jail project — and the enterprise of the town's administrators. The store's fourth-generation owner, George Lammers, noting the drastic difference between subtropical, humid Gitmo and dry, wintry Hardin, says, "This place would be torture for some of those boys." But, he allows, "I think it would be great for all the law enforcement people to be here. It would help our housing market. Our city fathers wanted the economic benefits, but I guess they didn't foresee the political controversies." For months, correction officers Glyn and Rae Perkins, husband and wife, were the only employees at the 96,000 sq. ft. Two Rivers facility. They were laid off on Jan. 23. "Those of us who were involved had such high hopes," she says. "The state blocked us at every stage. It could've been such a good thing. I sit here now, watching businesses close and people wondering if they'll lose their houses. It's sad. But the idea of housing Gitmo prisoners here just floors me. It would be scary."
On a more serious note... Here are a couple of interesting articles on Supermax Prisons. http://www.csoonline.com/article/216794/Security_Inside_the_Supermax_Prison Excerpt: What is the difference between a Supermax and a traditional correctional facility? A Supermax provides segregated long term housing for inmates who are classified as high security risk. A traditional correctional facility would hold nonviolent offenders or drug offenders on the low end. Describe a day in the life of a prisoner. They are locked up 22 to 24 hours a day, in a 7x12 foot cell. Psychologists, counselors and education staff make their rounds everyday; the prisoners don’t leave the cell for those visits. All three meals are placed in their cell. We use a sally port arrangement, where bars separate inmates from staff, and then a solid door and a security window. You can open the solid door and walk into an area where you are still separated from the inmate. They have a cement bed with bedding on it, a desk and stool, both made out of cement and a stainless steel sink. There is a shower in each individual cell, and that’s something that you wouldn’t see in a traditional facility. We have to do that for sanitary reasons, but more than that, it’s so we don’t have to transport inmates down the hallway. It’s a safety issue for staff. All their movements are under surveillance, day and night. The only reason an inmate would leave the cell is for a medical issue or visitation. However, visits in the Supermax are always no-contact. http://www.forbes.com/2006/04/15/prison-supermax-ross_cx_jr_06slate_0418super.html Excerpt: In 1994, the federal government opened its first Supermax prison in Florence, Colo., dubbed the “Alcatraz of the Rockies.” In the years that followed, many state departments of corrections built their own. Supermax prisons, also known as Special (or Security) Handling Units or Control Handling Units, are known for their strict lockdown policies, lack of amenities and prisoner isolation techniques. Escapes from Supermaxes are so rare they're statistically inconsequential.
Yes the congressional reaction you highlighted is stupid on the part of the congressman. As far as the employees angle goes, that's not really a concern. Federal dollars coming in would create the jobs needed, and the worry about lack of correction officers would be negated.
FB,...You are not the enemy here, you are very engaging and I appreciate that. but that Montana prison should be a no go. Besides the red flags that hit me from the get go (for which there is likely more), it is not a supermax prison. bottom line. My point is bona fide supermax prisons only if we should allow these terrorists here. Let's be nit-picky on this. Rashmon brought up valid operational reasoning which makes me believe supermax ONLY...
My favorite quote (I don't remember who said it): "They're not 10 feet tall." These aren't supervillains we're imprisoning, just fundamentalist terrorists. I don't know if some kind of super-max prison is even necessary. They can't be any worse than the drug cartel members, gang leaders, and the rest we've already got. Those guys aren't breaking loose all the time, despite the fact they likely have a lot more friends and resources at their disposal. Bring Al Qaeda to Houston; it doesn't bother me at all.
Why are people acting like terrorists have never been locked up in American prisons? Supermax sounds fine to me. Ramzi Yousef, Richard Reid, and Zacarias Moussaoui have all been to the Colorado prison.
Why should we fear terrorists who are locked up? If people are concerned about Terrorists evangelizing others and turning them into terrorists....shouldn't they be worried about how the eye-sore of Gitmo has been used to inspire wannabe terrorists everywhere???
Supermax prisons are not real. Y'all are watching too much X-Men 2 where Magneto is held in a plastic cell.
