East Block’s Condemned Row has been a world of its own. It’s known to house the worst of the worst. It is a man’s final stop before his ill awaited fate is to be carried out. But many out on the mainline do not know that there are quite a few changes taking place here on the row. And, though there may be no hope for the condemned in the eyes of others, we see things a lot differently. We no longer sit under rocks and simply accept the fact that many of us may never see the streets again.
There were many issues that needed to be addressed within the East Block unit and absolutely no kind of communication when it came to staff and prisoners. This, of course, caused many difficulties and gaps that to this day remain, except for the reality that these issues are “fixable.” With that said, the East Block Advisory Council came into play. The “EBAC” members work along with the unit staff and Administration here on the row to make life easier and the program run smoother, for both staff and prisoners. It is a council of the condemned that have been here anywhere from upwards of many years to just a few. We are all working together to make this program more suitable and beneficial to all.
There are six “Grade A” yards here, and on each yard there are four EBAC representatives, one for each of the basic four ethnic groups, and one yard chairman who goes to the scheduled meetings with the staff. The issues brought up vary, such as: canteen, medical, property, and general unit issues that involved the Condemned population as a whole. The staff needs to know that we are willing to work out issues with them on an advisory level, instead of using the Inmate Appeal Process (CDCR 602). By the EBAC reps speaking to their constituents, we can now bring to the staff’s attention issues that have an adverse effect on a certain group of prisoners, or a single person. On many occasions, the individual issue could turn into a population issue. By being able to address the staff using the EBAC process, we can now be at ease to know that most problems will be worked out on a timely basis and resolved.
Condemned Row has a history of not being able to function as others do out on the mainline. By working to resolve the problems on the row, we have now shown that not all inmates are program failures and many are willing to function like any other prisoner housed in the CDCR. It’s the EBAC council’s hope that the line we now have to the staff and administration can remain open so that programs can continue to run smoothly. Death Row is now stepping out.
