CAMP FEMALE POPULATION DECREASING

by Rhonda Turpin

     Danbury Camp was built in 1973 by the Nixon Administration when the Watergate

scandal occurred.  The White House did not want to place the white collar defendants

behind the fence at the FCI, therefore this structure was born.  It was built for 12

men, with 12 single rooms that still stand today, except each room now has 6 to 8

women residing in the same space.  Also, the area that was previously the "Dirty

Dozen's" bowling alley is still the basement, but currently houses 150 women, sectioned

off into three dorms, with two-women cubicles.  Their previous workout room is

now sprinkled with pet cages that house the Puppies Behind Bars project, and more

than a dozen women.  What was built for 12 men, now has a count of 208. 

    The current count is low, and dropping weekly. 

    Thanks to U.S. Attorney Eric Holder's sentencing initiatives, women are entering

the door with a lot less time at the Camps throughout the country.  Our count is

decreasing, and Alderson Prison Camp's count is now considered low.  Last week,

they informed women here that they would be going to Alderson's RDAP program,

instead of the regular programming site at Greenville Illinois. 

     For almost the same white collar crime that I received a 15- year sentence for

almost a decade ago, women are entering prison today with anywhere from three

months to a year and one day maximum, which is equivalent to a state sentence

for the same crime. 

     Amendment 782 for drug crimes will also continue to drive the population down.

    This system is a form of slavery.  The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines clearly states

that their purpose was to increase the prison populations by 10% each year. 

   The sentencing climate is surely changing, and I hope its permanent, because

this system is broken on so many levels. 

Written as a resident of the basement/previous bowling alley, cubicle A-22,

bottom bunk. 

April 21, 2015

Danbury Prison Camp

author, publisher, prisoner