Florida Prison Officials Shocking Kids with Stun Guns

[footstepsfrom#27]

Are you kidding me?

http://www.yahoo.com/s/1072708

[footstepsfrom#27]

Two other Florida prisons zapped visiting kids with stun guns

By Meg Laughlin, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, May 6, 2009

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publics...icle998415.ece

Two more state prisons have acknowledged incidents in which guards zapped visiting children with handheld stun guns, bringing to three the number of facilities where the unapproved demonstration was used on "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day."

On Friday, the Department of Corrections said that several kids visiting Franklin Correctional Institution in the Panhandle on April 24 were shocked by a guard who was demonstrating what corrections officers do at work. On Tuesday, the department revealed that children visiting Indian River Correctional Institution in Vero Beach and Martin Correctional Institution in Indiantown were also zapped with 50,000-volt electronic immobilization devices.

The devices used on the children, who are between the ages of 8 and 14, require bodily contact. Used on unruly inmates, the devices usually knock victims to the ground, cause a few minutes of disorientation and leave two small burn marks.

The daughter of the warden at Indian River was among the victims.

Frank Gonzalez, the owner of Self-Defense USA, a large stun gun company in San Diego, describes the 50,000-volt shock as "similar to grabbing a live wire in your house with a wet hand — like a hard punch in the stomach with the added trauma of electricity running through your body."

The Department of Corrections did not release the number of children, or their conditions or names. But Matthew Foster, an attorney for one of the children who was injured at Franklin, said that more than six children were shocked at that facility.

His client, a 12-year-old girl, sustained abrasions and trauma when the powerful jolt knocked her to the ground, requiring a doctor's treatment, said Foster, who asked that neither the child nor her father be named. Her mother works at the prison and gave permission for the demonstration, according to Foster, but the father, who is separated from the mother, did not approve and has sued.

"These devices are designed for stopping dangerous prisoners and can cause injury or death," Foster said. "They are not for experimenting on children."

Upon hearing rumors that Franklin was not an isolated incident, George Sapp, deputy secretary of institutions for the Department of Corrections, began calling wardens around the state. His survey turned up two more similar incidents on the same day, said Gretl Plessinger, a corrections spokeswoman.

Ten employees — five at Indian River, which incarcerates teenage males between 14 and 18, and five at Martin, which incarcerates adult males — have been suspended while the incidents are investigated. At Franklin, a guard was fired last week.

Plessinger said it appeared the three incidents were "separate and unrelated," with no coordination or planning linking them. But the possibility will receive further scrutiny, she said.

"There are very clear rules about when, where and who these devices are to be used on, and all officers are clearly trained in this. So, we don't yet know how this could have happened at three facilities on the same day," Plessinger said.

The suspended employees at Martin and Indian River did not return phone calls from the Times.

State Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Miami, chairman of the House Council on Criminal and Civil Justice Policy, said he and other legislators will be watching to see what the Correction Department investigation determines.

"If we think the department is not thorough and is taking care of its own, we'll step in," Robaina said. "But first Walt McNeil (secretary of the Department of Corrections) deserves the chance to handle this internally."

The 10 suspended employees, who are on administrative leave with pay, received a letter telling them that when the investigation is completed they will either be notified of their return date or told not to come back to work.

[SouthStndJunkie]

[Florida_Bronco]

Well that's not very smart.

[cutthemdown]

What a stupid idea. Hey let's zap kids wth stun guns for a demonstration. What person in their right mind would think that is a good idea? The unbelievable stupidity of it is amazing.

[SportinOne]

While it's a crazy idea, I don't like that they are trying to sensationalize this by saying 50,000 VOLTS like it is supposed to mean something. Current kills, not volts.

[Inkana7]

Don't taze me, Bro.

[cutthemdown]

Originally Posted by TheChamp

While it's a crazy idea, I don't like that they are trying to sensationalize this by saying 50,000 VOLTS like it is supposed to mean something. Current kills, not volts.

So what would you rather be zapped with in volts, at the same current.

10 thousand volts
50 thousand volts

Or is it like you say the volts mean nothing because like you said you won't be dying.

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by TheChamp

...I don't like that they are trying to sensationalize...

Trying to sensationalize? What are you talking about?

[Popps]

I was tazed when I was 3 and turned out fine!

This is just feminist America pussifying our youth.

[GreatBronco16]

Originally Posted by Popps

I was tazed when I was 3 and turned out fine!

This is just feminist America pussifying our youth.

[SportinOne]

Originally Posted by cutthemdown

So what would you rather be zapped with in volts, at the same current.

10 thousand volts
50 thousand volts

Or is it like you say the volts mean nothing because like you said you won't be dying.

As far as I remember, maybe someone can correct me, if the current is the same the voltage doesn't matter. Current is a function of voltage and resistance.

[SportinOne]

Originally Posted by footstepsfrom#27

Trying to sensationalize? What are you talking about?

What I meant was the fact that they are doing this is crazy. I never said what they were doing is okay. I'm just saying the number 50,000 stands out quite boldly and is quite misleading.

Oh, and I found a quick answer to the voltage question.. for clarity, amperage is a unit of current.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...t_can_kill_you

Glad that I didn't forget EVERYTHING that I learned in electrical school.

[GreatBronco16]

Originally Posted by TheChamp

As far as I remember, maybe someone can correct me, if the current is the same the voltage doesn't matter. Current is a function of voltage and resistance.

The amount of current depends on the amount of voltage available, and also the amount of resistance.

To me it was usually, if voltage increases, then current increases. The amount of current will depend on how much and if any resistance is there.

Not sure though.

[cutthemdown]

My buddy is an electrician and he said that more voltage will for sure be more power, and therefore more effective at shutting down the nervous system.

So you would feel a big difference as voltage increased.

Voltage is the amount of energy
Current is the rate at which it flows

so even a small amount of energy, but with high amps(current), could kill you. WHile tons of volts, but low amps, would not kill you.

But if current stayed the same, and voltage went up, that would be more energy, at same flow rate, but would for sure make the device more painful.

[watermock]

You idiots don't understand it's a simple measure to increase the voltage.

Only push a magnitude on it and it's lethal.

Morons.

[watermock]

But if current stayed the same, and voltage went up, that would be more energy, at same flow rate, but would for sure make the device more painful.

RU sure? Are an expert on cardio electro shock?

Brunt force is more easily estimated. Electrical discharge is more difficult.

Your a fool.

Depending on several factors, there is NO standard measurement to detemine a potentioal cardiac arrest due to electroshock.

Now to mention it's given as an alternative suppression weapon. Only need to increase the amps.

[BroncoMan4ever]

[SportinOne]

Originally Posted by watermock

RU sure? Are an expert on cardio electro shock?

Brunt force is more easily estimated. Electrical discharge is more difficult.

Your a fool.

Depending on several factors, there is NO standard measurement to detemine a potentioal cardiac arrest due to electroshock.

Now to mention it's given as an alternative suppression weapon. Only need to increase the amps.

Back to form, i like it.

But yeah, there are a lot of variables.

[Inkana7]

Originally Posted by Popps

I was tazed when I was 3 and turned out fine!

This is just feminist America pussifying our youth.

What's next? Showing kids Ghostbusters?

[Popps]

Originally Posted by Inkana7

What's next? Showing kids Ghostbusters?

... while tazing them....

[footstepsfrom#27]

Originally Posted by TheChamp

What I meant was the fact that they are doing this is crazy. I never said what they were doing is okay. I'm just saying the number 50,000 stands out quite boldly and is quite misleading.

Oh, and I found a quick answer to the voltage question.. for clarity, amperage is a unit of current.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_th...t_can_kill_you

Glad that I didn't forget EVERYTHING that I learned in electrical school.

Given that people have actually died from these devices it would seem the story was already sensational on its merrits.

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by Inkana7

What's next? Showing kids Ghostbusters?

Now that just crossed the line mister!

[Bronx33]

Originally Posted by watermock

You idiots don't understand it's a simple measure to increase the voltage.

Only push a magnitude on it and it's lethal.

Morons.

You don't understand it's simple to start a post without calling everybody an idiot mock ( are you following me?) or do i need to get out a chalk board and draw pictures?

[loborugger]

Wonderful.