Nov. 14, 2013

Pablo Pina D-28079
P.O. Box 7500 D-2 122 SHU
Crescent City, Calif 95531

RE: Pelican Bay (SHU) photograph (post) and canteen list and menu.

This is a photograph of the outside of the SHU. You could see that it looks a lot like a warehouse or storage containers. The white things on top are the skylights. I heard the other day that the prison officials are going to put a clear skylight window on the ceiling, but what good will that do, it may let in a little light but we can't see nothing. First of all, who wants to stand and look up to the ceiling, and then they don't let us hang out on the tier anyway.

Here is a copy of what the SHU canteen looks like. They have added some items since the first and second hunger strikes, so it was not always like this. It is a little better now. But it still consists of mainly junk food. But they are telling us they will be adding drinking cups and plastic bowls soon. I sure hope so because I'm tired of drinking out of milk cartons and eating out of milk cartons.

Here is what one of our menus look like for SHU. Looks kind of good, huh? Yeah, it's made for the public or inspectors. What is on this menu we only get some of it, they always substitute the good stuff with slop. Man, if we got what this menu says we'd be doing alright. I doubt we'd have much to complain about.

Yesterday they gave us some stuff that was terrible, I don't know what it was. But it looked like chili beans and rice, but was soy meat and some red sauce that was very bad. I messed up putting my rice in it, because after I tasted it, I couldn't eat it.

Another thing is they always seem to run out of food and have to go back and get more trays.

I laugh every time I see a menu, because it looks good on paper, but I know we won't see most of it. Hell, they been giving us crackers for dessert almost every night. Those are lunch crackers.

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Pelican Bay
[two stars out of five]

Pelican Bay State Prison

Located on 275 acres in the northwest corner of California, just 13 miles from the Oregon/California Border, Pelican Bay State Prison (PBSP) is designed to house the State's most serious criminal offenders in a secure, safe and disciplined institutional setting. The prison opened in December 1989 to accommodate a need for a growing population of maximum-security inmates. Pelican Bay has an approximate budget of $180 million, more than 1,292 employees and houses approximately 3,240 inmates.

Half of the prison houses maximum-security inmates in a General Population (GP) setting. The other half houses inmates in the Security Housing Unit (SHU) designed for inmates presenting serious management concerns. The SHU is a modern design for inmates who are difficult-management cases, prison gang members, and violent maximum-security inmates. PBSP operates a 392-bed, Level I Minimum Support Facility, which houses non-violent offenders outside of the secure perimeter of the main institution, and a Firehouse with 7 full-time inmate firefighters.

www.CDCR.ca.gov
click inside California corrections

Facts

1. Inmate Population
Prison Total 3,234
(11 inmates in Infirmary when data was collected)
* Security Housing Unit houses 1,111 inmates.
** Facility C houses 602 inmates.
** Facility D houses 509 inmates.

* General Population houses 1,271 inmates.
** Facility A houses 749 inmates.
** Facility B houses 522 inmates.
* Administrative Segregation Unit (ASU) houses 403 inmates
* Psychiatric Services Unit (PSU): 116 inmates
* Level 1 Minimum-Support Facility and Gym houses 315 inmates until closed (Gym will close Dec 2011, AB-109)
* Firehouse houses 7 inmates

2. Annual housing costs 2010-2011.
* $70,641 per SHU inmate
* $58,324 per GP inmate
* $171,857 per PSU/EOP inmate
* $77,740 per ASU inmate
* $43,640 per Level I inmate

3. July 2011 Hunger Strike Numbers (Pelican Bay only)
* Total number of inmate strikers: 1,035
* Total of inmates on strike at one time: 1,021
* Average weight loss of strikers: 0.42 of a pound
* Most weight lost by a single inmate: 30 pounds
* Most weight gained by a single inmate: 14 pounds
* Total number of inmates who lost weight: 113
* Total number of inmates who gained weight: 21
* Total days hunger strike lasted: 21 days

4. Staffing
* Sworn peace officers: 868
* Health care staff: 160
* Non-Custody (clerical, plant, records, etc.): 237
* Education: 14
* Management: 13

5. Programs and Self-Help Groups
* Education
** Academic Education (ELD/GED)
** Alternative Education Program (college, testing, distance learning)
** Vocational Program (auto body and fender)

* Self-Help
** AA/NA
** ROCK (Reaching Out Convicts to Kids)
** Choices
** New Beginnings
** Veterans Group

[copy of weekly menu at Pelican Bay]

[copy of canteen order form]