Reply #35: My brother was a correctional officer at San Quentin and knew Tookie

[Ladyhawk]

Williams personally. I know for a fact my brother was psychologically brutal to Death Row inmates and I suspect he was physically brutal as well. My brother alleges that Tookie engaged in gang activities long after his "change of heart" and probably still does to this day. However, this is just hearsay. I trust my brother about as much as I trust Tookie. I know just enough about both of them to doubt both their claims.

Our father taught my brother to beat up on the weak, which included his little sister and animals. From what I've seen, there's been no change of heart. It's just easier to exert power over people behind bars and get paid for it. Like I said, I don't know for sure how my brother treats the inmates physically, but I know he does whatever he can to torment them emotionally. My brother used to take pride in the fact that he would be happy to drag the inmates "kicking and screaming" to the gas chamber. He walked past their cells singing, "Plop, plop! Fizz, fizz! Oh, what a relief it is!" This was in reference to cyanide pills dropping down in California's old gas chamber.

So, does the death penalty make monsters of us all? I don't know. I think my brother had a tendency to be monstrous before he became a correctional officer. He's outgrown beating up on his little sister. I don't know if he's outgrown torturing animals. He certainly doesn't care about animals. And I know he doesn't care about inmates.

I'm leaning toward not supporting the death penalty at all, but I have mixed feelings about capital punishment because 1) it is not uncommon for those on Death Row to kill again while in prison, 2) it is not uncommon for those on Death Row to be innocent of their crimes, 3) "life in prison" doesn't really mean life in prison, 4) executing criminals takes a toll on those whose job it is to carry it out.

I would be for abolishing the death penalty if 1) "life in prison" really means life in prison, 2) correctional officers get special training to deal with very violent inmates to prevent violence directed toward other prisoners and staff and 3) correctional officers understand the risks of dealing with very violent inmates and receive hazard pay and insurance.

I wish the system would weed out people like my brother, but instead, it attracts them. The way these correctional officers treat the inmates probably makes the inmates more prone to violence.

My brother has no doubt realized I didn't think his little "jokes" on the Death Row inmates were funny, so I'm not likely to hear more about what goes on behind the walls. Luckily, he doesn't work at San Quentin anymore, so it may have given his views some time to soften. I hope so, for my brother's sake, as well as the sake of the inmates.