Criminal Justice system

This week for L.A. term we are studying the criminal justice system. On monday we attended a court case of a young man who is being accused of first degree murder that he supposedly committed when he was 15 years old. He has been awaiting trial for 3 years which makes it convenient for the legal system because they can now try him as an adult. They are trying to prove that he was involved in a drive-by incident that resulted in the death of a gang member from the cripts gang but they don't have concrete evidence, all they have is a gun that is said to be his, and witnesses confessions which don't point to him as guilty. I witnessed first hand the injustice of our legal system. One of the witnesses was given a sheet of paper containing the pictures of those that were suspects, but they told her to circle who she knew and then they used it as an accusation, saying that she circled who had done the crime. The police department also had her sign a piece of paper under threatening conditions, in which they later filled in saying that she had said that
the boy that was circled was the one. She was threatened and put in a very stressful environment, remember she was only 15. She thought she was being questioned for the confrontation incident that occurred prior to the shooting but she was given all shorts of questions regarding the death of a gang member. She didn't witness this and yet they kept her there questioning her. They showed this evidence plain and clear but no one seemed to care. The forged document can throw off the case, but they refuse to investigate because the defendant is black. I saw the judge dowsing off, cheeking her email, and not seeming to show any interest in the case. I saw the defense attorney dowsing off also, not being able to cross examine effectively, he asked ridiculous questions that were irrelevant. He had the demeanor of someone who didn't care about the defendant because and i believe it's because he is a public defense attorney. I was outraged at this, i wanted to stand up and defend the poor guy. Another thing that was happening was the prosecute was leading both of the witnesses that we saw. This is not to be done and a real judge would see this and stop it in its tracks. I hate saying this but i don't think he will be acquitted, i think he is going to prison. I don't know if he did it or not but the legal system clearly finds him to be a danger to society.

On wednesday, we visited the Los Angeles Men's Jail in downtown Los Angeles. I was surprised at the living conditions, and dehumanizing tactics that were enforced. We were taken to see the cells and the inmates seemed really pleased to see pretty girls in the jail. We visited the regular cells and those that were more high security. We also were taken to the gay section of the jail. The gays are separated from the heterosexual inmates. Apparently they have a series of test that they are administered to determine if they are gay. They live in bunk bends, they have a T.V and the bathrooms and showers are public and exposed. (I even saw a mans penis, not my favorite memory). Over the doors hangs a sign that reads "It is a FELONY to engage in SEXUAL ACTIVITY" the majority of the inmates there are HIV positive or have AIDS. This was a problem because everyone was sleeping with everyone that those that were not infected would become infected. The federal judge had to issue an order that gave them condoms. They were given condoms to engage in safe sex. There is a huge box that hangs under lock and key under the huge sign that is where the used condoms are deposited and someone disposes of them correctly. This was the craziest thing that i saw. Also they are required to give them 3 hours of free play and sunshine a week. They are taken to the roof and given 3 hours to use the phones, play basket ball, soccer or just lift weights. One thing that surprised me was that the inmates are given so much freedom with the phones. They are all able to make phone calls on a regular basis. The phone company and the jail split the profit of this which is about 12-15 thousand or more a year. All the calls are either collect and cost $3.00 a minute or are made using a phone card. The relatives, spouses of the inmates that accept collect calls have to pay the consequences. They also don't monitor the calls unless they get a court order to do so. This hardly ever happens. Dangerous men who are leaders of great gangs and mobs are also given their 3 hours of phone time and they are not monitored. This means that they can issue hits (murders) and do much harm and no one cares because according to the jail "we don't have the money to pay someone to monitor thousands of calls." Our criminal system is screwed up and no one seems to care that the prisons are over crowded, lack resources, cost the people millions of dollars. I am really infuriated by what i saw, heard and experienced.