Teaching prisoners to dive...

[alcina]

I'm sure they would be happy to pay back the training expenses once they are back on their feet.

This strikes me as a bit naive and assuming things that haven't been stated - I don't think there is any commitment by the prisoners or the State to have the prisoners repay the cost of training. This is a freebie...read "Your tax dollars at work...for someone else"

 

[scubadobadoo]

hey, they actually tried that...

on regular sailors, though. they had committed no crimes

can you believe it?

Yep, my father was one of them. He was never bent, despite the many crazy profiles he was exposed to. Amazing.

 

[neil]

A Reuters blurb today said that prisoners in Chino are being taught to dive while incarcerated, using a 7 m deep prison pool. They are later given commercial dive training to prepare them for underwater construction jobs. Officers note that racial tensions between divers tend to be lessened since they are forced to depend on each other for safety... (an observation from the school of "duh").

The C in C-card might now mean "convicted" ... from breaking rocks to nitrox? Enough puns.

If it keeps them straight, I'm all for it...but where can I get access to a 7 m training pool at state expense?????

There is a 1995 documentary about this. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114331/

 

[George Ang Dy Pay]

FREE FOOD AND FREE DIVE, wow what a LIFE.

 

[Doc Harry]

I'll teach prisoners for free!

I just need weight belts, plenty of lead and a deep pool.

 

[KOMPRESSOR]

Yes, Chino in California. The inmates had to be serving less than 4 years (obviously...why train a lifer to dive).

WHAT do you get LESS than 4 years for in Calif ??? Nickin' apples from the neighbour's three?

 

[bluesbro1982]

WHAT do you get LESS than 4 years for in Calif ??? Nickin' apples from the neighbour's three?

Pops is a retired LA County Sheriff. It depends on how you define "time." With prison overcrowding, sometimes a judge or the courts will give a ratio of x days time served to y days in jail. Depending on the crime, someone can get credit for 1.5-2+ days served for every 1 day that they are actually in that fashionable orange jumpsuit.

http://countingcalifornia.cdlib.org/pdfdata/csa03/N03

is a link to a pdf of average months served per crime in CA in 2002 (Old stats but pretty accurate as we haven't passed that much new crime legislation). Average months in jail for Grand Theft (>$400 value) is 18.3 Months, slightly more at 18.7 months if you were to boost a car and get a GTA rap. Drugs (other than weed) are enforced a bit harder: 24.4 for Possession with intent to distribute and about 34 months if you are nailed dealing. Weed is more lenient, felony possession and PID are 16.6 and 23.5 months respectively.

Jail time in Chino is not a laughing matter, but from what I hear the Corrections departments in Arizona and Texas make suicide a viable option.

 

[Mr.X]

There is a 1995 documentary about this. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114331/

I believe I saw a part of this documentary? I remember that finishing the program was anything but easy. A lot of candidates washed out early. In the end there was a follow-up with these guys working in their respective jobs. One guy was diving on a single tank in California waters. His OC swimming skills were so-so, but then again, a hardhat diver isn't diving to DIR standards.

Overall, prison training is a good thing - even at tax payer dollars. Typically, inmates did not make good choices earlier in life (teens), nor had respectable methods of making money. In this case, making smart choices becomes paramount as does the fortitude to finish a program that tests endurance and capability. It also develops (late stage) some degree of personal accountability and group skills with people outside their typical cadre.

I really can't see how some folks grouse about rehabilitating people in jail. If cons go out there without skills they will eventually fall back into well-worn grooves - committing crimes.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The program which was the brain child of Lenny Greenstone, a popular LA county/NAUI Instructor. Lenny's cousin, Irv Marx, was the assistant warden at Chino. Lenny sold Irv on the idea, Irv sold the powers above him on the idea and the progarm was established in 1970. Lenny organized the program and for several years he provided the equipment and was the only instructor.

As the program expanded Bob Allan an LA County Instructor/Commerical diver was hired and assumed control of the program.

It was not a walk in the park as many have indicated. It was based on the very demanding and difficult LA County program. Many applied and like LA County only a very select few were accepted; those that were accepted were the cream of the crop, both physically and mentally. After acceptance it was diving 24X7X365.

The physical conditioning was very intense and was on going. Very very difficult world class conditioning, equal to or perhaps greater than that experienced by the elete US special forces and it was every day for the duration of the program.

The mental portion was just as extreme. It would be the mental diving equal of obtaining a doctorate or maybe a double doctorate from a major university in "Diving." All aspects of diving was covered in detail. It is certainly accepted that LA area was the fountain head of recreational diving and at that time was populated with world class experts and most of the early pioneers who also gave freely to the program of their knowledge and expertise. When and IF the candidates completed the program they were in every sense of the word scuba/commerical divers, ready and willing to enter into their new profession as a commerical diver.

I had a number of contacts with them, at Chino and as a part time college underwater instructor who had a number in class. It is therefore my opinion I am some what qualified to comment on them and their post encarceration performance, which was outstanding in every aspect. They looked and acted like a diver, they were well prepared mentally and physically and could and would perform any task assigned to them.

It was Tax money well spent.

SDM

FYI there was a book published several years back titled "Prisoneers of the deep" not very well written, certainly not on the best seller list, but it does have a lot so pictures of the facility and the Chino program. sdm

 

[String]

Guess this scheme redefines the meaning of CONFINED water dives....