Former Prison Guard Explains Why California Prisons Are Becoming Unsafe | Hector Bravo

“It is like working at a zoo, and they’ve opened up every single cage: to the bears, to the lions, to the panthers, to the giraffes, to the elephants. And you got the correctional officers like: “Oh my god, what have they done here?”

Siyamak sits down with Hector Bravo, a former correctional officer and lieutenant with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, who worked in the prison system for 16 years. He provides insights into the deteriorating conditions in California prisons based on his first-hand experience, and critiques the implementation of the “Norway model” of reforms, which he says has actually made the prisons more dangerous for both inmates and staff.

“I’ve been involved in numerous riots and I’ve never seen blatant disregard for life like that,” said Mr. Bravo. “Everybody is at risk. That’s exactly what California prisons are like right now, in 2024.”