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

February 22, 2014
Saturday PM

RE: Step Down Program Update (Hearings)

Greetings.

There was a meeting with prison representatives and CDCR officials this past week, and they are saying that we can now have another radio that wasn't approved because it had a speaker. But officials said if an inmate wants to have it removed, he can sign a waiver so officials can remove the speaker. This is good because this means that we can order the radio we want and, even if it has a speaker, it can be removed here instead of waiting several years before it's made without one.

Personally, I'd still rather have the CD/radio. It don't look too stylish, but it works. I believe the CD player will come into play later, and I sure would like to have my own music discs to listen to when I want to. So I'm hoping to get someone to order it for me.

Okay, the other thing is that prison officials said that in March, they will resume with the DRB hearings. So that's good. Those of us who didn't go in December will be seen in March, where they think they will let some more of us in SHU over twenty years out. If they want to make it look like they're trying to change their image, they will continue to kick some of us out of the SHU.

Oh yeah, another thing they said: once we get to step two, we can have two packages, which is really huge for a lot of us who don't have the funds to go to the prison commissary each month. That second package will make a big difference.

But we are waiting to see it on paper. Also enclosed is the next part of the step down program.

You know, I read a lot about how CDCR and society are doing their best to combat gang activity. There's been a crackdown on crime for the last 15 years, which led to a harsher and stiffer sentences. The legislatures and politicians have called us the menace to society, but that sounds good to those making the claims and those who don't know any better.

I read about politicians, government workers who are committing a lot of crimes, more than most prison inmates commit. But you rarely hear of them being sent to prison. If they are sent, they get pardons or they are given lenient sentences. They are in the news all the time. What is worse: a regular run of the mill guy the commits a crime or the police officer who commits the same crime?

There really is no difference except a police officer is sworn to be a law-abiding person, to protect and serve. So his crime is twice as bad. But again, he gets a lenient sentence because he is an ex-cop.

Corruption is an everyday in thing in the government, all governments. But it's not looked at as a real problem, even though it's always happening. Crooks are everywhere. The only thing is that government officials have friends in high places that will eventually pardon them when the normal guy (a criminal) has no one. What it really comes down to is who you know.