April 25, 2004 - 770929 - The Solitary

[vgarci]

This week's program is presented for your review by Dragerman.

For those who do not have the program, you can download it (with or without a Streamload account) at: www.streamload.com/vgarci (http://www.streamload.com/vgarci)

[Texas]

Whoa - hoa...a "little hooky-dooky"? Amazes me some of the things they'd talk about (or insinuate) on the RMT at times.

Excellent cast...Fred Gwynne, Larry Haines, Ralph Bell, Nat Polin. More after I'm finished with this.

[Rahel]

[quote="Texas"]Whoa - hoa...a "little hooky-dooky"? Amazes me some of the things they'd talk about (or insinuate) on the RMT at times.

I'm new here and it's pretty late where I am, so maybe I'm a bit slow on the uptake. What were they insinuating? That there's a great deal wrong with the prison system?

I would have subtitled this story "The Quality of Mercy." Indeed, the word "mercy" kept running through my mind as I listened. It seemed that all the people here wanted to be merciful -- Higgins the guard and the warden, and even Broder (sp?) at one point -- but the system wouldn't let them. Perhaps that was what the program was insinuating?

[Texas]

[quote:f4d391dc10]

"...the place smells like (EXPLETIVE) in the county jail.
Homie lookin' at me like he's seen me before,
he started throwin' up a sack then he spit on the floor,
I think 'Hey, yah yo, I know this kid,
that's the same (EXPLETIVE) who cocktailed my crib',
The dude said 'Get ready',
pulled a shank on me,
I said, 'Come on, homie, you a bit too sloppy'.
Fool tried to stab me, socked him in the eye,
the guards yelled 'GIVE IT UP' and let two fly...
...they put him in 'the hole'...

[i:f4d391dc10]From "Busted in the hood" by Cypress Hill (http://www.cypresshill.com)[/i:f4d391dc10]

[/quote:f4d391dc10]

Rahel,

Funny thing. This rap song came out over a quarter century after the RMT's "The solitary" and they're still calling solitary confinement "the hole", as was done in this episode. (And for what it's worth the group "Cypress Hill", which behaves as though they're trying to become the new poster children for legalized marijuana use, are apparently no fans of the Los Angeles Police Department yet in this song don't see "the hole" as that bad of a thing for guys who try to attack you in prison.)

And while I, like you, see this as an episode of mercy of sorts (though it's interesting how Fred Gwynne handled his character, as though he sees both sides of the reasoning for and against solitary confinement and isn't just looking at the rule book) I think if I was a guy who "cocktailed" someone's home then tried to stab him as in the song above, or who almost killed a woman then hit a wise-cracking guard (twice) as in our current RMT show of the week, they ought to put [i:f4d391dc10]me[/i:f4d391dc10] in the hole.

[Rahel]

Hi, Texas. No, I don't think this guy should be let off the hook. He should certainly be punished for his actions. But a whole month in solitary without even sunlight? That's not punishment; that's torture. I'd suggest, for example, extra terms of kitchen or latrine duty -- such hard, dreary, unpleasant labor would give our offender plenty of time to think over his acts. The Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and in my opinion that's exactly what this was.

But then, that's what RMT does -- it explores the cruel and unusual things in our world.

[Texas]

Hopefully, Gwynne's character made a good solution to the problem.

If I were him, I would have:

1. Put him back in "the hole" for awhile...actions have consequences.

2. Forbade the guard played by Nat Polin (The one who joked about the "hooky-dooky") from getting near the prisoner with severe consequences for doing so, if possible.

3. Let the guard played by Ralph Bell check up on the prisoner in "the hole" as frequently as possible.

4. Hoped the prisoner behaved himself so he could get out and not return again.

I believe it would be interesting to see real-life situations of those who are put in solitary confinement while incarcerated. I'm guessing most of them have richly deserved it. But I'm in agreement with you that this should be a means of punishment, not torture. (And I don't think it was, as the prisoner had already been convicted of a crime, and they weren't trying to elicit information from him.)

[Rahel]

Your solutions seem reasonable. I'd also add therapy to help the guy grow up a bit so that once he got out, he would be able to manage his anger without getting himself back in.

When I was a child listening to RMT, I used to thrill every time I heard the name Fred Gwynne. Wow, I would think, Herman Munster on the radio! (I never saw Car 54, Where Are You?.)

[Fizzlestix]

This episode ran by me very quickly. It was very engrossing. Disturbing. The file itself was VERY difficult to listen to - muddled and much like listening to Charlie Brown's teacher talk (wawh, wawh, waaawhh).

So, the fellow is in solitary. That stinks. So the fellow beat his woman. That stinks. So the fellow is lonesome. That stinks, too.

I'm sorry, but I am a very compassionate person who takes great pity of people in our society who have bad fortune befall them. I'm the guy who does give out change to the homeless person I see on the street. I can't help it. It's my nature.

But when it comes to those people who break the societal laws - the laws which we all must obide in order to try to live halfway normal lives, my heart does not bleed too much.

Often I will be in traffic and see that one car that flies down the road in the breakdown lane, as though they had some right that the other thousands of commuters do not have. I see people at the grocery store take 10 items when the sign clearly says LIMIT 3 PER PERSON. Or when people let their dogs run along the beach when it is posted all over NO DOGS ALLOWED ON BEACH.

This kind of behavior is obnoxious and makes me shake my head - but it is the kind of stuff that can be forgotton or not taken "too" seriously.

However, the character in this story clearly exhibited signs of not being able to follow the rules of a bigger scheme. He wasn't just cutting in line, or disobeying a sign, he was crossing the lines of what our society deems acceptable. He knew the consequences. Since he was asking about things like baseball and the weather, it is safe to assume he was for the most part "sane." An insane person would have asked about something completely obscure, such as "What is the going rate for terillium on Planet G these days?"

My point is, that I only identified with the main character in that it would really stink to be stuck in the hole like that. But I did not feel sad for his situation. I thought the guard who was comforting him was being kind, but foolish in not fulfilling his responsibility. The only one who seemed to me, to have a grasp on things was the second guard - the one with the glasses. He may not have been an admirable person, but he knew the way things were.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the way it was presented. A fine choice for SotW. I gave it a 4.1 and especially enjoyed the audio special effects like the slat in the door opening and closing; the glass; etc.

Thanks and best wishes!

[UNTIL NEXT TIME]

Howdy: I enjoyed the show. I found myself sympathetic to the prisoner, which is not easy for me. I think the story and presentation where well suited for radio. The acting stood out.............Until Next Time..............................ps.....I'm so busy these days my reviews and attention to the episodes must be curtailed......but only for 6 more weeks!!!

[UNTIL NEXT TIME]

[qoute="fizz"]Since he was asking about things like baseball and the weather, it is safe to assume he was for the most part "sane." An insane person would have asked about something completely obscure, such as "What is the going rate for terillium on Planet G these days.[/quote]

[UNTIL NEXT TIME]

[quote:4dfa081606="fizz"]Since he was asking about things like baseball and the weather, it is safe to assume he was for the most part "sane." An insane person would have asked about something completely obscure, such as "What is the going rate for terillium on Planet G these days[/quote:4dfa081606]


.....90% of these humans should be put to death......Until Next Time

[UNTIL NEXT TIME]

OK fizz...I'm going to try hypnosis on you. Repeat after me: nahh... you just got to remember to spell "quote" correctly! ....and again: nahh... you just got to remember to spell "quote" correctly! ........OK, you are now hypnotised and will not repeat this in your own box below.............................Until Next Time

[Fizzlestix]

[quote:199f3ed88c="UNTIL NEXT TIME"].....as regards the quote mechanism.....I've lost the touch!....Until Next Time[/quote:199f3ed88c]

nahh... you just got to remember to spell "quote" correctly! :wink:

[scarlson33]

This episode made me think "What if this we" If I were in the prisoner's place, solitary would drive me crazy. I am not a violent person so I wouldn't be in jail in the first place, but the solitary part would make me go wacky.
I am one for personal responsibility. That means I think someone who beats someone up should do something for it--hopefully spend time in jail. However, that said, I also have the view that not everyone is exactly equal in the way they react to things. Although this guy might not be "insane", he is definitely going through a difficult situation--as much as it is a mental problem. I guess I don't see what the problem would be with bringing this guy to a psychiatrist and having him in confinement in some other way. Couldn't they confine him in a cell that isn't dark and closed off? I guess I just see that one punishment doesn't fit all crime. If we really want to rehabilitate people, we should try to figure what might work to help people who are incarcerated.
I have a good sense of right and wrong. I have never even gotten a speeding ticket after 14 years of driving. I wouldn't be in this position in the first place. But someone with a different background might not see a reason to not break the law and that person might react like the character in this episode.
Let the punishment fit the crime but also have some compassion.
Sonya