The previous article described the PPF (Progressive Programming Facility), and what was working. Now, I will get into what happened, which begs the question: why destroy a positive, working rehabilitative program like the PPF? Because of where I worked, I was privy to a conversation between one of the CDCR union leaders that came down from Sacramento, and the facility union leader. I listened as he complained that the PPF had “cost the Union workers and that they had “lost” over $250, 000 the prior year, because there were no incidents, lock-downs, requests for hazard duty claims etc., like other yards had, therefore, the Union Representative saw that as money lost, instead of seeing that the Correctional Officers working on the PPF were going home safely after their shifts, instead of being attacked like they were being on other yards—you have to suspend logic to try and understand this kind of thinking.
The de-construction first started when all of the positive things being reported on with the PPF got the attention of CDCR in Sacramento, and representatives came to observe this unique program and how it worked.
After a couple of visits, it was decided by the ” powers that be,” that they would go to other prisons, pick a yard, and designate it as an “Honor Yard” or “Enhanced Program Facility” (EPF) yard, give them microwaves, allow them to own two pair of tennis shoes, and thought that they would duplicate what they saw on the the PPF. It was a horribly failed experiment, to say the least. What CDCR failed to recognize, was that the PPF was conceived and founded by residents who chose and decided to form an Honor Yard, reject prison politics and violence, and agree to follow the rules. You could not go to a prison and decide for them that they were now an Honor Yard, and expect it to work, when the residents had not agreed or bought into the idea or concept. Many who were deeply involved in prison politics enjoyed the chaos, violence, and substance abuse that flourished, because it meant income and power to them. Those that attempted to program on the fake
Honor Yards were met with violence or ostracism. Gang and prison politics could not allow the fake Honor Yards to work, no matter how many pairs of tennis shoes you could have. The EPF’s did not last.
Next staff was brought in to the PPF from other prisons that were being closed down, and they no longer honored the promise of being able to “retire” on the PPF even if you were a “Programmer,” they immediately stopped allowing overrides, and began to transfer residents to Level II prisons, where unfortunately many were subjected to violence, because they came from an Honor Yard. Systematically, residents that had been programming on the PPF for 15, 20, 25 years were being transferred out.
All of the ones that had started and diligently run incredibly successful, proven, positive, productive and truly rehabilitative programs, were being transferred out. As the new younger residents came the standards were lowered, and now even with a serious RV you could remain on the PPF. With few to none of the men that had started or participated in the PPF left, there was nobody to set an example for the newcomers that had not even asked to come, or even agree to participate or abide by what the PPF stood for since it’s inception.
CDCR soon began to transfer in residents that were not disciple-free, and quickly drugs, gangs and prison politics took over, just like every other prison yard in CDCR. Next to the yard Youth Offender Program… and now there was no structure or accountability, and drugs and gang violence have taken over what was once a vibrant and shinning light in CDCR.
So what can be done? What does it take to recreate what was a proven, successful positive and productive programming facility, if not at Lancaster, then elsewhere? The PPF was not by any means perfect, but it was successful and it worked for an extended period of time. Especially, in this current era of the “California Model,” shouldn’t it be easier to replicate a PPF in other prisons? If Rehabilitation is the goal, shouldn’t it start with an environment that fosters and encourages true rehabilitation? It has been done before, and it could be done again. The challenge is the clash of cultures, on both the side of residents and staff. It will take a collaborative effort on both sides, something that the California Model strives for. A few suggestions for Residents:
1.) The PPF was started by a few men who made a decision and a commitment to diligently stick to the rules not just of CDC but also Society, and to hold each other accountable for their actions, because if you screw up it doesn’t just effect you, it affects the rest of the group that are working to set a good example. Everyone involved has to buy in to the concept regardless of what others are doing. Most people do not respect hypocrites, walk the walk, set an example of integrity and others will follow. A small group can start a major movement, that others will follow.
2 . Look for things that you can do, that you do not expect to receive anything in return for except for the good feeling of knowing that i t ‘ s
the right thing to do, and a good example for others.
3.) Take responsibility for your own education and personal development, and recognize that it is your responsibility to seek ways to improve.
If there is not a program or class that you need available, then create one, instead of making excuses for what you don’t have.
4.) Don’t give up hope that you can go home, if you do the work i t can happen, there are a lot of former residents that did not believe at first that they could ever go home. However, there are none that have gone home that didn’t at some point decide to make the changes that Society requires.
5 . ) At some point you have to decide to be your own man, and stop caring so much about what other people think, and admit to yourself that you are
the only one holding you back.
6.) Realize that it can’t be done all on your own, you have to be willing
to look for ways to help others, and then accept help, or seek help when you need it or it is offered to you.
I originally intended to offer suggestions for staff to make a program similar to the PPF work, however, the more I thought about it I realized that it was not the staff that made the PPF work. It was the will and determination of the PPF residents that made it work. Was it perfect? HA! HA! —no way— but we made the PPF what it was in spite of staff from the inception . If we wait on staff to buy in, it will never happen. If we wait for the administration to come up with a program, we are wasting valuable time, and it will just be one more excuse and something else to blame for the conditions that we live in.
- The PPF residents developed programs when none were available. The PPF
residents became positive and productive contributing members of society, long
before the Governor, or courts said that they were suitable for release. It
is up to us, and not the administration, to take responsibility. We now think
differently, therefore we behave differently, and we are now eager to ask for
help, something that we never used to do. We are able to be accountable for
our decisions and actions, and to demonstrate that we are ready and willing
to return to our communities as an asset and not a liability. (See what
happened to the PPF residents, in Part III)
Authored by Matthew J . Fletcher
