The Shakedown

Extortion and the "Good Old Days" of Texas Prisons


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We continue our talk about about the history of Texas prisons, the David Witt case, PREA, extortion in the "bad old days" of Texas prisons, heart checks, and the parole algorithm. We get into the nitty-gritty of the PABLO scale (and get some of it wrong, link below) and how it is used to determine if inmates are eligible for parole. We cover a lot of information and if you want to look more into any of what we talk about, check out the links below.

How old is the Darrington Unit: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/news/tdcj_renames_facilities.html#:~:text=In%201917%2C%20the%20Darrington%20Unit,of%20over%2019%2Dhundred%20inmates.
How old is the Ramsey Unit: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/unit_directory/r1.html
The David Witt Case: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7571957/Texas-prison-sergeant-not-guilty-aggravated-assault-inmates-death.html
Texas Pardons and Parole Guidelines: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/bpp/parole_guidelines/parole_guidelines.html
How the PABLO Scale got its name:
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/11/us/texas-using-a-new-formula-to-guide-its-prison-releases.html
More about The Shakedown at: https://shakedown.show
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More about Nina the Pitbull at: @nina_is_a_pitbull

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